Unfolding Scars
by FandomMonium
Summary: "Unfolding scars," She says softly. She sounds so content and comfortable that it brings a smile to my face. "Unfolding scars?" I can feel her smile against my chest when her cheek outstretched against it, "Telling every memory about each scar. It's like we are unfolding the memory." Katniss wraps her arm around me and I wrap mine around her back,"Then we are Unfolding Scars,"
1. Chapter 1

** Hi everyone! I just wanted to say before you all start reading, that this will be a continuous chapter story. How many chapters, I do not know yet. Right now, I am working on a few at once. I am not certain yet how far I want this story to go, either marriage wise or to even family wise. But don't worry about that, we have a long way ahead of us. Now you might have already read this story, it was the second chapter under 'How It All Started' but then I realized, that it doesn't go with this story, 'How It All Started' was just a brief short of how I thought Peeta really connected the feelings with Katniss. But ANYWAY, I'm talking too much, so just have fun and enjoy!**

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**Settling In**

The house seems empty. Not having Prim nor my Mother here is a little hard, but at least Greasy Sae comes by to cook me something to eat. If she didn't come I would have starved to death. She feeds Buttercup too, though he can hunt for himself, he likes the food that he can get fat with. Buttercup somehow found his way back home after I dropped him off far, far into the woods. I was hoping he would drown in a lake or get eaten by a animal but this cat learned well. But even though how much I hate this cat, I need to respect him. He loved Prim as much as I did, and he is the only one that can mourn with me and not tell me that it is okay. I hate when people say that it will be okay, because no matter how many times they say it, it never gets better. It never will.

It is 11:43 and I am still laying in bed, half naked. There is no point of putting on clothes if I am never going to get out of bed anyway. No one comes up in my bedroom when my door is closed, which it always is closed. I go downstairs once and a while to eat what Greasy Sae left for me, or I just give it to Buttercup. I don't think anyone wants to see me anyway, I smell as if I am laying in garbage. Since I have been back from the hospital I haven't showered once. I have been out for a week and a half. I got used to the smell, I smell like Haymitch after sleeping in his own pool of vomit after a hangover.

I don't know what is better though, laying like this forever, or just dying...I think I go with dying. All I want is my sister back, that's all I want and apparently it is just to much to ask for. My mother is off at a hospital taking care of the sick and wounded. She called once, but I let it ring. I am not in the mood for another breakdown from her. It's time for me to have my own in peace, I deserve that.

There is a knock at my door, a loud one. I don't answer. Putting the covers over my body, I roll over to face the door instead of the window. Whoever is on the other side of the door tries opening it, not realizing that the door is locked. Now I am happy that I had undergarments on because Haymitch breaks the door, stomps into my bedroom, and rips the covers off me, pulling me to my feet.  
"Jeez sweetheart, " Haymitch wrinkles his nose, "When was the last time you took a shower?" Haymitch is always the one to make me feel worse than I already am.

"When was the last time you brushed your teeth?" I mock.

Haymitch opens my dresser drawers, grabs at anything, and throws it into the bathroom. Then he grabs my arm and pushes me into the bathroom, closing the door. I try to get out but he is holding the door shut.  
"Take a shower, brush your teeth...then do it again! Get dressed after and you might as well burn those clothes because Sae will never be ever to get the smell out them!"

I don't answer him but I hit the door. Eventually I obey Haymitch, knowing that there is no need fighting with him right now. I rip off my clothes and throw them in the sink. After turning the shower on to warm up I unbraid my knotty hair. When the water is nice enough, I walk into it, feeling a little relieved, actually. I didn't realize how much my body needed water on it, I have patches of dry skin throughout my body. Cleaning my hair and body as much as I can, I think of what is going on at the hospital.

Johanna Mason is probably doing well, she was acting bad on purpose. All she wanted was the morphling to take the images away. She could be in her home district right now, but there isn't really anything there for her. She could have lived with me if she wanted to, even though I didn't ask her, we would have had someone to talk to. Delly is probably doing fine, she could leave as well but she is just staying for...him. He on the other hand, is probably not making any progress. Last time I heard about him before I left the hospital he was having another episode. I don't really know what to think about him, yet. I mean, I really tried to make him remember me again but every time I was so close getting him back, he would just slip back and have another relapse. In some time I might want to visit him again...

There is a loud bang on the bathroom door "Come on girl, you have been in the shower for thirty minutes!" Haymitch yells.

I didn't realize time went by so quickly. After getting the rest of the sweet smelling soap off of my body, I shut off the shower and get out. I wrap a towel around my body and go over to the sink. Picking up my clothes that I put in the sink, I throw them in the trash, realizing how bad they smell.

After brushing my teeth twice with mint toothpaste, I put on the clothes Haymitch gave me; a green short-sleeve shirt, black pants, and undergarments. Brushing my hair is a little hard, even when it is wet. There is so many knots and tangles that the hairbrush gets stuck every time I put it through my hair. I put it up in my usual braid then bang on the door, "Alright I'm done, open up!"

Haymitch opens the door, "Much better sweetheart."

I walk out of the bathroom and sit on my bed, "Would you like to tell me why you made me do all of that?"

"You have to start living, dammit! You don't realize that you aren't the only one that lost someone you love. Heck, almost every single family in Panem lost at least one person, or more. Half of 12 died for crying out loud! And Peeta-" Haymitch stops, not wanting to bring him up. Haymitch sighs, "You just got to realize it sweetheart."

And I do. I finally realize it. It takes me a couple of days after Haymitch's lecture to, but I realize it. I am not the only one that lost someone they loved. I am not the only one trying to deal with this new life on their own. I am just like everyone else, trying to heal over a bad burn. And I will learn from it.

I will learn...

**X X X**

It has been a week since Haymitch brought me back to reality. Sae doesn't need to cook for me anymore, though she still comes every morning to make sure that I am up, and I let her make breakfast for me. Besides breakfast, I am making myself something to eat. Today is going to be the first day that I am going into the woods to find game. When I went into the woods to drop Buttercup off, I was wishing that I would get lost, too. After I eat, I go into the closet and grab my bow and arrows. I leave it in my closet instead of the woods in case something ever happens, even though I doubt something will happen, it just makes me feel safe.

Jogging out the door, I realize I'm walking slower the closer I get to the fence. Speeding up my pace, I take the short way, making sure I can't get a glimpse at the Hob, as possible as that can be. When I get to the fence that has been built again, for protection of wild animal purposes, I open the gate to the woods. The gate has an electricity button, which you can only reach from the Hob, but it is just for when there is an wild animal on the loose, or the very few traitors who try to kill. I personally, do not like the idea of having electricity on the fence, or a fence at all to come to think of it. I would much rather have a clear opening to the woods. It would be a whole lot easier in the winter if the gate would happen to get frozen shut.

It's mid-spring though, so the gate slips open easily; expanding from the heat. I only open the gate enough to slip my body through, then closing it as fast as I opened it. Even though I do not need to, I leave a rock between the fence and the gate, so the gate does not fully shut. It has just been a habit of mine ever since the invisible wall in the Quarter Quell. It never bothered me until I first started coming out of my home again, I just looked at the fence one day when I was on the side with the woods taking a walk, and I thought I was trapped, unable to get to the other side. I sat there for a good hour or two until I realized that I could either open the gate or climb over it. That night I spent the rest of my time curled up in a ball on my bed, sheets enfolding me to keep me warm.

It used to be hard to decide where to go hunt game whenever I came out here. Everywhere reminded me of a memory I did not want to remember; my dad and I, Gale and I, Finnick and I with the crew of people, evening primrose's everywhere, the lake, the bombing, and even where I dropped off Buttercup gives me a horrible memory that I don't want. I found a place to hunt and relax though, in the meadow. I rarely ever gone there before, it just looked too beautiful to go there. The flowers are just starting to bloom to its natural color and the leaves are just starting to come back onto the trees. The weather is warm enough for short sleeves, but not warm enough to not bring a jacket just in case. The season is just starting to lean towards the end of spring, beginning of summer. Summer is my favorite season, though fall comes a close second, since the weather is nice, it allows me to stay outside for hours. I can stay outside just as long in the winter time, it just forces me to move slower with all the layers I would be wearing to keep warm.

When I get into the middle of the meadow, I'm surprised when I don't see as many animals as I usually do. It only takes a couple of minutes though to realize where all the animals probably are. The heat and the blazing sun is forcing them towards the lake. Suddenly, it feels as if there is pressure on my chest, forcing me to sit down. I could just go home and wait until tomorrow when it's a little cooler and the animals will be back, but then again, my house is running low on game. I could just get food from Sae, but I don't want to have to rely on someone else anymore. If I rely on someone else right now, then I will not be able to push myself forward and move on in my life.

Pushing up from the ground with an unnecessary grunt, I slowly walk towards the lake. The memories that I don't want to remember start to run through my brain with every step I take. It puts an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach and flips it. It's not painful though, I actually like the feeling; I kind of miss the feeling. Weirdly enough, the feeling urges me forward, not noticing that I am passing birds that I could easily shoot. The closer I get, the more the feeling progresses, only making me want to go faster. When I realize that I am sprinting into a jog, I don't stop myself, in fact, I speed up the pace. The only thing that stops me on my tracks is when the lake is a few feet away with a deer drinking from it. This is the first deer I have seen since the day of the reaping so long ago. For some reason though, I think that it is nature giving me a chance to start over; thinking of that sounds weird, but it's the only thing running through my mind right now.

Slowly, I reach my left hand behind me and grab a single arrow from its pouch and gently secure it in its position in the bow. Even though I haven't touched my bow and arrow for weeks, the steps on how to secure the arrow, lift my arm into its position, breath in, pull the string back enough so that the tip of my finger is brushing against my lip, breath out, and release doesn't feel new to me.

When the arrow hits the deer in the head, it falls to the group with a loud thump. Some of its blood trails into the lake and flows down with the water. Now I can't use this water for a source in the woods for a good time now. Walking over to the deer, I bend down over it and with one quick motion, slide the arrow out from its head. I wipe the tip of the arrow down with a leaf by my foot and then crumble it up, throwing it behind my shoulder without a second glance.

After skinning it and taking the amount that will fit in my game bag, I slowly trudge back to the fence. Opening the fence, I kick the rock out of the way, watching it roll and roll until it is close the trees. Maybe I am finally settling in.

**Well there you go! Please review and tell me what you thought. I'm already working on the second chapter, and yes, it is almost done. I don't know exactly when I will post new chapters yet, it really depends on how many views I get. Stay tune for chapter two!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you everyone for reading **_**Settling In**_** on the new series **_**Unfolding Scars**_**! So far this series has 3 followers, and hopefully we will get more! This chapter has to do with Peeta, so it will be Peeta's POV. **

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**PEETA'S POV**

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**Getting Better**

Coming out from morphling is always different every time I wake up. Today I wake up with blurry eyes, and the feeling that I have chains on my arms and legs. I am almost right, I have straps that hold me down to the hospital bed, not chains. After blinking a couple of times, I remember where I am. I am still in the hospital getting better from the war and tracker jacker venom flashbacks. Delly and I prefer my flashbacks as episodes because it's like a episode of the Hunger Games. I haven't had as many episodes as often but I can't keep my hopes up because the same thing happened a month ago then I all the sudden had a relapse. The relapse was worse than my last one two weeks before when I almost tried to kill Delly. I woke up out of morphling one day and she looked like Katniss to me in my delirious eyes and I tried to kill her. My best friend. My sister really. I tried to kill her. And yet she still comes to check on me all the time, just like that episode never happened.

I try to get out of the straps until I realize that there are three doctors watching me, writing down everything that I am doing. They probably think that I am having a episode, and by how I was using my teeth to try to get out of the straps, I would think I was having a episode, too. But I wasn't. I slowly sit up as much as I can with the straps on, blowing my sweaty curls out of my eyes. My hair is longer than I would prefer, but know one trusts me near scissors yet, not even I trust myself near scissors yet.

I look at the men in the room I am forced to live in, and they look back at me, clearly waiting for a episode. But I don't feel an episode coming on. I actually feel normal...well as normal as a insane person in a hospital can get, really. And for a strange reason...I miss her. I miss the girl I have been trying to practically murder whenever I have a episode. I miss the girl that showed me what love is, and now I want her with me.

As casually as I can I speak to the people watching me, "Can I speak with Delly, please?" They look at each other for a moment, then come over to me and take off the straps. I flex my sore bones and stand up. The doctors stay in the room, while I walk out of it. Thankfully, I remember where Delly's room is. When I walk down the halls, people stare at me, so I wave at them and say a quick hello.

When I get to Delly's room she is not in there but I know where she will be. I walk down the hall to the doors that bring me to the South side garden. The South side garden is my favorite out of all four gardens because this one it is full of colors and different smells. The rest of the gardens only have one smell and certain colors.

When I get into the garden Delly is sitting on a stone bench, looking at a yellow ladybug walking on her left palm. I walk into the garden and Delly still does not notice me. I cough, awkwardly standing in front of the rose bushes. Delly jumps a little, then looks at me, surprised. I watch the ladybug on her palm fly away then I look at Delly.

"Wow," she says, "No doctors, guards, anything?"

"None" I breath. I just realized that, too. Everywhere I go, I always have a doctor or a guard following me, to take me out of a room before I have a episode and try to hurt people.

"Maybe I really am getting better," I force a fake laugh, though Delly knows that I'm serious.

Walking over to her, I sit beside her on the bench, close enough that our shoulders are just brushing against each other. She looks at me for a second, trying to figure out something I assume, but then she shakes her head as if she is trying to forget what she is thinking. To cover it up she quickly comments, "You are, step by step, you are. You're making human contact, and you're not even flinching at our shoulders touching." She points to our shoulders, laughing when I reluctantly put our shoulders closer to see if it bothers me, which it doesn't.

"I guess you're right," I say with a smirk.

After a moment, Delly's face grows serious, "So, what are we going to do when your well enough to get out of this place? We could...stay here in District 13 and live in a house, we could go District 9 so you could grow your own grain and bake," then she sarcastically adds, "or we could even go to the Capital and watch the citizens run amuck."

"Aah, as tempting as that sounds, I think I'm okay right here for now."

We sit in silence for a while. Not an awkward silence, but a comfortable silence, one where the sounds around you can keep your mind occupied. Right now, the sounds of fountains, birds, the wind, and bees are floating in and out of my ears. It comforting actually. There hasn't been many moments like this in the past few years, with all that's been going on in Panem. This is one of the actual few moments that I can let my mind be at rest and not need to worry about a thing in the world. But sadly, there is something I need to worry about, Katniss. Everything I can remember of her and I quickly start running through my mind. At first, it's all the good and real memories, but a few fake memories squeeze its way through.

Suddenly, all the memories flowing in at once start to overwhelm me. My hands reach for the bottom of the bench and I latch onto it, squeezing to the point that my knuckles turn white. I put my head down and furrow my face together, trying to make the memories go away. I didn't see Delly move, but now she is at my legs, each hand on my shoulders, "I'm going to go get a doctor okay?"

"No," I say through gritted teeth, my voice trembling, "I want...to do this...by...myself." I am having trouble speaking without yelling.

I hear Delly tap her foot, as if she is trying to see if she should do this by myself or not, "Fine, but I'm going to stay right here with you."

Rapidly, I shake my head, "No-no!" I slowly lift my eyes enough to look Delly straight in the eyes, "Please...leave."

She looks at me one more time then gets up to her feet, slips through the door, and when it closes, she stands there and watches me.I'm used to the audience I sometimes get when I start to go into an episode, some people watching just to see for their entertainment, or the few that help me get through it.

I put my head down to my knees, trying my best to curl up while still sitting and gripping onto the chair, but my body doesn't work with my mind anymore and it whips my head backwards, arching my back up. My breath comes in rapid paces, almost like hyperventilating. It uses every bit of energy for me to even straighten my body. My hands suddenly grab my face at each side and squeeze, as if trying to push all of the bad memories out. My fingers latch onto the ends of my hair and pull, it hurts, but it lets me get my frustration out. With all of energy I have left in me, I force myself to lower my breaths to slow paces. It hurts my throat, but it is the only way to start calming down.

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not...real," I murmur to myself over and over. My mind flashes back to all of the times of Katniss and I; her saving my life in the cave, us sleeping next to each other on the train, on the roof, kissing on the beach of the Quarter Quell...it all comes back to me.

I slowly start to gain control of my body again and the fake memories leave my mind. I turn my head to the door where Delly left from and there she, , the three doctors from my room, and a guard stand, mouths hanging open with what looks like awe. Then it hits me that this was the first time I got through an episode by myself, with no one with me to help, no one by my side the whole time. I got through it myself and went through the steps myself.

Delly, Dr. Aurelius , the three doctors, and the guard step inside the garden and slowly walk towards me.

Dr. Aurelius is the first to speak, "Peeta, that was magnificent. You got through it by yourself. Tell me, how did you do it?"

At that, the three doctors lift their clipboards and pencils, ready to write what I am about to say, "Um," I start, not sure of where to begin, "I-I tried to control my breathing...and I told myself that none if it is real, and I imaged all the real things that Katniss and I did. It was hard but...it worked."

I can feel the ends of my lips curl up into a small smile. Delly and Dr. Aurelius are still looking at me in awe, while the three doctors are rapidly trying to write down everything I said. Dr. Aurelius nods at the guard and he walks out of the room then proceeds down the hallway.

Delly comes over to me and sits by my side, putting her hand on my knee for comfort, "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Delly," I say with a smile.

Dr. Aurelius clears his throat, "Peeta do you mind if I borrow you for a bit? Run through everything that happened once more?"

"Sure," I nod, standing to my feet, "Whatever you need to go through."

Dr. Aurelius and I start to walk out of the garden until turns around and says, "Thank you Delly."

I don't really know what that was for, but Delly smiles and nods, making sure she doesn't make eye contact with me.

Dr. Aurelius and I walk through the halls, saying a quick hello when we pass anyone, and walk into the Separate Room. The Separate Room is just another word for a therapist room. Whenever I have an episode, always takes me to this room to talk. Whenever I come in here, the room always has a different therapeutic smell, lavender, flowers, all different kinds. There is a lounge chair in the middle of the room, with a leather chair next to it.

Dr. Aurelius motions me towards the lounge chair, while he walks over to the leather chair. Once I am in the lounge chair, I wait until Dr. Aurelius is ready to speak to me. He reaches over to the small round table next to the leather chair, picks a clipboard and pencil, and starts to jot things down. At first, I think that he might have forgotten my presence, but shortly after, he lifts his head and looks at me, "Okay," he starts off, "Why don't you tell me how you felt when the episode started coming on?"

"Well, Delly and I were in the garden, as you could see, and it was quiet, peaceful even. We just sat there and listened to the noises around us, and I let my mind drift off and relax. I was thinking how it could be a good idea to stay here just a bit longer because right now I have no worries for anything around Panem, but then I realized I did." My voice starts to become more sorrow, "I realized that deep down, Katniss is a priority to me, and I need to protect her...and then I started thinking about all the real moments between us, but...then fake moments started to seep through, and I started urging towards them. Then I just felt...uncontrollable."

Dr. Aurelius writes down everything I say down onto the clipboard, nodding at my words. After he writes all of it down, he again looks at me, "Did you feel as if you were going to endanger anyone?"

"No," I spit out too quickly, "I mean, at first I didn't really know, so I told Delly to leave. I didn't feel as if I was going to hurt her, but then again I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself if I ended up trying and I was too far gone."

"Yes, yes, Delly told me this. She came to get me; she said that it was important. At first I thought it was important because you were close to endanger yourself or someone around you, but to be told, it was important because you were getting through it on your own. Delly tried to tell me before that we should leave you by yourself during an episode, she says that you are capable of trying yourself. At first, from the data I have been collecting, I thought we would have to wait a couple more weeks to even attempt something so drastic, but clearly I have been proven wrong." He smirks a little at his last sentence.

I allow myself to laugh a little, "You weren't the only one that was surprised. To tell you the truth, I didn't even think I could do this on my own."

"Peeta, you need to have a little more faith in yourself, you are truly getting better. If we didn't trust you, do you think you would be walking around today with no doctors or guards at your side?"

That is something new to me. I didn't think about any of that, I just took it as everyone just giving me some slack and letting me do something enjoyable for just a little bit, "No, I guess I never really thought about that."

**X X X**

After and I go through what I felt, his questions, and some relaxing methods, I head back to my room. Although I had a episode today, it was truly not a bad one. I have had ones where I would hurt someone or flip a table or even harm myself. This, this little episode was nothing. Soon enough, I will maybe be able to leave this place and go to a home or a different District. To my District. Because believe it or not, I am really getting better.

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**So there you go, chapter two! I am already working on chapter three, it is going to be fairly short, only because I already have something in mind for chapter four. Please tell me what you thought of chapter two and follow **_**Unfolding Scars =)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Over one hundred-fifty people read my first two chapters of **_**Unfolding Scars**_**! Also, this story now has five followers! You think we can bring that up to ten? Higher than ten? Anyway, thank you all so much for supporting this series! Like I said at the bottom of chapter two, this chapter is going to be fairly short. Here you go, chapter 3!**

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**Katniss' POV**

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**Back On Track**

My life in District 12 is almost like a routine. I called last week to see if he could help me find ideas to keep my mind at work. If I let my mind have any free time, it floats back to Prim dying at the Capital, Boggs legs being blown off, the streets of the Capital, the war, me killing President Coin, President Snows death, Peeta... everything. When that happens, I will be too afraid to come out of my bed for days, even too afraid to come out of my home. has put me on a routine, wake up, take a shower if necessary, get ready for the day, eat breakfast, do anything that I need to do around the house, go to the woods and hunt for game, I can either stay in the woods until mid day for lunch or stay in the woods until dinner, come home, take a shower if necessary, skin my game if I didn't already do so, prepare dinner, eat dinner, do anything I need to do around the house if I didn't in the morning, then go to sleep, all to just start the same routine in the morning. Haymitch thinks I'm crazy for putting my life onto such a strict routine.

_"Going into a strict routine like that is only going to mess you up more. You can't live your live on it forever, how do you think it's going to be when you get off that routine? There is a good chance you're going to be worse than before when you eventually get of this. But of course, there is no need to listen to me, it's not like I haven't given you life saving advice over the past three years or anything." Haymitch grunts, proceeding to walk out of my front door._

_ "Dr. Aurelius says that it is a good idea, at least for a while, that is. He doesn't want me to think about the last year as much as I have been. I haven't had free time on my hands in the last year if you haven't noticed, so I don't know what to do with myself. Look, I think that it will be a good idea for a bit." I snap._

_ Haymitch turns around when he is standing in the middle of the threshold and bellows a loud laugh, "There is no need to give me attitude, sweetheart. I'm just saying, think about the future too and not just the present." He opens his mouth as if to say something else, then closes it just as fast. He turns around on the balls of his heels and steps outside when I say, "What were you about to say?"_

_ Without turning around he says, "Just think about others in the future and how that will affect your routine."_

_ I stare out the door until I hear him slam his door shut to his house. Haymitch's last words keep replaying in my mind, 'Just think about others in the future and how that will affect your routine.' I wonder what he meant by that, the only people I ever talk to now is Haymitch, Sae, and the occasional short talk when I trade with others at the fence. _

That conversation was three days ago though, and I am now used to my routine. But that conversation still itches at the back of my head, forcing me to think what Haymitch really meant.

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** Well there you go, chapter 3. I did say it was going to be short, so don't complain! I will make chapter four longer though, so don't worry about that. I just wanted to show you a glimpse of Katniss and how everything is going with her, and to show that is also being updated with her too, not just Peeta. I put the conversation with Katniss and Haymitch for a purpose, so look out for that. If you are reading close enough, you will notice why in chapter four, but you will definitely figure out why in chapter five, so don't worry. Chapter four will consist before Katniss and Haymitch's conversation, so keep that in mind. Please give me a review on what you thought and please follow **_**Unfolding Scars**_**! =) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! I am so sorry that this chapter took me so long to post. It is the longest chapter out of all of them, and I have been very busy, to make matters worse. Keep in mind to what I said on chapter three, this chapter happened before chapter three, I just put it like that to get some Katniss POV in. You might not notice why I did that, but you will in chapter five. And yes, next chapter is already chapter five!**

**Peeta POV**

**Last Day**

My improvement from the past month has been outstanding. There are no more straps on my bed in the hospital room, doctors and guards no longer need to follow me around anymore, and I rarely have episodes. My doctor says I can leave in a week if I want. Delly says I can live with her to District 9 so I could bake with the growing grain, but we both know where I really want to be.

The doctors and occasionally Haymitch tell me that Katniss is doing well, but I know that is a lie. I know that she is probably curled up in a ball in the woods wanting to die as much as I do now. I never thought I would feel this feeling again. I thought that feeling died along with my old mind. But I am actually glad that my love for Katniss is back.

When I get to the cafeteria for lunch, I see that Delly isn't there yet. I am too hungry to wait for her so I go in the short line to get food. My doctor told the workers in the cafeteria that I need food to build my body back up, so the woman gives me steak, carrots, and milk. I say thank you to her, like I always do, then I go sit at the table in the corner in the same seat I always sit in next to the window. No one besides Delly sits with me, still too afraid that I will have an episode. Some people talk to me when I pass them in the hall. A hello and a goodbye at the least.

I notice that Delly is sitting across from me, giving me a sad face. She looks in my eyes and studies me, "Her?" Delly's voice is solemn.

I sigh, "Delly, you can say her name, you know."

Delly starts to protest but I interrupt her, "Katniss" I snap, "Katniss, Katniss, Katniss, Katniss!" I stumble over my words. Saying her name gives me chills, but the good kind of chills. Almost that is. When I even say Katniss' name I need to hold back the bad memories, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay Peeta, I understand. She-" Delly looks at me, "Katniss is doing fine, great even."

I look Delly straight in the eyes, "How did Haymitch convince you to lie to me?"

Delly sighs, "Not convince as much as begging. Alright fine, the truth is, she is a complete wreck. Sae is forcing her to eat, she stays in her room all day and night, and it is a hassle for Haymitch to even get her to shower."

Katniss is that bad? I mean, I knew she would be having trouble but not even taking care of her health? If I was there, I could make it better...if we could even handle being in the same house let alone District. But I know what I need to do now. She tried her best to help me even when I tried to kill her, and now it is my turn to help her.

"Delly, I need to go back to District 12. The doctor says I can leave this week, too. I-I just need to go back there."

"Peeta, you know I am always on your side for everything, but are you sure about this? I mean, this is the reason you are here, you try to hurt Katniss. I know that you have gotten better and everything but Haymitch would be the only one to protect her and try to tend to you if you happen to have an episode. I just think you should wait a little longer, until your episodes are gone and out of your system for good."

"My episodes will never be out of my system for good and you know that! I have gotten better Delly, I can do this. I have my pills to knock me out if I know an episode is coming, and Katniss can keep a knife with her if she wants when she is around me. Delly...I need to do this. I'm ready."

Delly eats a spoon full of her apple sauce, "Okay."

We are both silent for the rest of lunch while the people's conversations around us occupy our ears. While I eat I look out the window. There is a cardinal sitting under a Willow tree and it looks like it is starving to death. The ground is too hot with this heat that the worms are probably going deeper into the soil. Right when I am about to a carrot out the window for it, a blue jay flies near the cardinal and drops a piece of bread next to it. That moment makes my heart sink. It reminds me of the memory that has never changed in my mind. When Katniss was under a tree behind the bakery and I threw a loaf of bread to her.

I can't take it anymore. With my tray in my left hand I sit up and push my chair in with my right hand.

"Where are you going? You didn't finish everything in your plate." Delly tells me.

I open the window and dump the rest of my food out it for the birds to eat, "There. Now if you will excuse me, I have something that I need to do."

I run through the halls to get to Dr. Aurelius' room. When I get to his room I bang on the door three times. After a couple of seconds, opens the door.

"Is it an episode, Peeta?" Dr. Aurelius looks me up and down.

By the way I am standing from banging on the door and the determined look on my face, I probably look like I am on the verge of an episode. I straighten myself and calm my face down.

"No I'm not," I say, "I just wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"

Dr. Aurelius moves out of the doorway and extends his arm for me to enter, closing the door behind him. I sit in the black leather chair in front of his desk.

"Do you want something to drink, Peeta?" he asks me.

Now that I think about it, I am very thirsty. I never drank any of my milk, and the last time I had something to drink was at dinner yesterday, "Please."

"Is water alright? If not, I can order some tea," Dr. Aurelius asks.

"No no, water is perfect. Thank you."

Dr. Aurelius nods and goes over to the bubbler. He pours two cups of water and walks back, handing one to me. When he is heading over to his desk, I douse half of my water. Dr. Aurelius sits down at his desk, with his pencil and paper ready to write what I am about to say. He does that every time we talk, so he can remind me if I ever forget, which on a few occasions, I do.

"So Peeta," Dr. Aurelius says, "what do you want to talk about?"

With a sigh, I start, "You said that I can leave the hospital. I was taking it into consideration and I know what I need to do now. I need to go back to District 12."

Dr. Aurelius writes on his clipboard while speaking to me, "Peeta the doctors, Delly, and I think that you should start out in a different District, you know, since you have old connections with them all from the Victory Tour. Stay in a compartment for a month or so, mingle with the other citizens there, and maybe even get a job just to see if you can handle everything before going back to District 12 where all of your memories are. If you rush into everything too quickly, it can trigger a flashback. It would be better if you go to District 9 and test out being with other people who do not have a background with you, whereas District 12 leaves the spot of the bakery, the spot of the Seam, the spot of the Justice Building, Haymitch, and Katniss. Have you ever thought about any of that?"

Now that Dr. Aurelius said that, I didn't think about that. I knew there would be some difficulties being back at District 12, but not that much. I would have to face where the bakery, Seam, and Justice Building stood. I would even have to face the spot where the school used to stand and Madge's house if it came to it. But I would have to face all of that sometime throughout my life. I might as well do it now because I could chicken out, which I might. After thinking about it though, I came to my conclusion, "I am going to go back to District 12."

With that he does a quick nod of his head and calls my old-time mentor, Haymitch Abernathy. After the third ring, I can hear Haymitch pick up on the other end.

"Hello, yes this is ," _pause,_ "No, no Peeta is fine," _pause,_ "Yes, this does happen to be about him," _pause,_ "Well as I said last week, Peeta has been doing outstanding and his doctor and I said that he could leave the hospital-" _pause _"That is what I called to talk to you about, see-" _pause_ "That is exactly what he said. Now this is why I called you, because you would be the only one-" _pause _"I'm trying to tell him that but,-" _pause _ "Haymitch-" _pause _"Okay, here you go."

Suddenly he reaches over his desk and holds out the phone to me. Hesitantly, I stand up enough to take the phone from his hands and settle myself back onto the chair before speaking, "Hello?"

"There's my lover boy; how have you been doing over there?" Haymitch tries to sound as if this is the reason he made hand me the phone.

"Haymitch, you and I both know this isn't the reason you want to talk to me," I add, not answering his question.

At first I thought we lost connection or he hung up on me because all I hear on the other end is silence, but then he manages a sigh to show me that he is still there, "Peeta, I know you want to come home and I know that none of this is fair for you, but you really need to think this through. If you have an episode, I would be the only want here to not only calm you down and make sure that you do not harm yourself, but I would also need to protect Katniss as well. Don't make this harder than it already is."

"Haymitch," I sigh, putting my hand that is not holding the phone up to my forehead, "You haven't been here for the last two months. I have gotten better, I truly have. And I am thinking about what could happen when I get back to the District, and I have thought about the outcomes, but I can't just stay here forever. If I want to over all of this, I need to go back. I can't just stay here until all the bad memories go away, because they never will; think about that."

I can hear a shatter on the other end which only means Haymitch is either having a fit about me not agreeing with him, or he is potentially on the verge of being drunk. Whichever one it is, it needs to stop, "What are you doing over there?"

"Sweetheart just attempted to throw a liquor bottle at me, and utterly failed, might I add," At that, there is another crash on the other end.

My eyes suddenly widen, "Does she know what we are talking about? I really don't want her to know about this yet."

Haymitch laughs, "Of course not; I'm old not brain-dead! Besides, she's gone now. I don't know what I did this time, she just came in here and whipped a bottle at me, and left just as fast as she came."

I can't help myself but grin just a little, "Well, I guess I might get to see that for myself soon, maybe?"

"You still never give up, do you?" Haymitch grunts, "Okay fine, you can come back. But if an episode gets too far and leads into harm for anyone else, you are going straight back to the hospital, you hear me?"

"I hear you, thank you," I say, about to hand the phone back to Dr. Aurelius when Haymitch speaks up again, "I...err...missed you, kid."

Without answering, I hand the phone back to Dr. Aurelius, "Hello, yes it's me again." _pause _"Oh, OH! Okay, I will send some books, pamphlets, medicines, and syringes with him to give to you. I'll call you back later and tell you the plan." _pause _"Yes, okay, I'll call you later. Goodbye."

Dr. Aurelius hangs up the phone and leans back in his chair. He then looks up at me, "Well, it seems that you are going home, Peeta."

"So it would seem," I reply back, a grinning ear to ear.

"The doctors and I will schedule the day and get back to you later," Dr. Aurelius says, cuing me that it is time to leave his room so he can go through business.

With a nod I stand up and start to walk out of the room. Right when my hand is on the doorknob, Dr. Aurelius stops me, "Oh, and Peeta; congratulations." He smiles at me.

"Thank you. And, thank you for helping me through everything, I really appreciate you not giving up on me."

His face grows serious, "Peeta I would never and will never give up on you. Remember, I am still here for you when you leave. Call me when you feel as if you need it."

"I'll do that, thank you," I say, turning the door and leaving the room.

**X X X**

After roaming the halls for a good half an hour, I finally find Delly talking to a nurse on the east wing of the hospital. I patiently stand besides Delly until she is finished with her conversation and says goodbye. Once the nurse walks into a hospital room, I gently grab Delly's arm and pull her down the hall and to the elevator, pressing the 8th floor, compartments. Once the elevator door closes, I let go of Delly's arm and blurt out, "I can leave!"

Delly lets out a sound of joy and gives me a hug, "Congratulations! I am so proud of you. So where are we going? District 9?"

"Delly...I'm going back to District 12,"

Delly drops her arms and looks at me, "Peeta, you're completely sure about this?"

"Yes," I nod, "I need to go, I need to do this."

"Well, then you can go. I can't go, Randy won't be able to face it. I'll have trouble facing it, too."

Randy is Delly's younger brother. He is still traumatized that his parents died back in District 12 in their shop. Randy and Delly just made it out alive, Gale went in and pulled them out just before the shop fell into ashes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," is all I can say.

"Peeta, don't worry about us, when Randy is more comfortable about our parents deaths, then we can meet up with you there someday."

With a sigh I add, "But, now I feel bad. I mean, you stayed here and helped take care of me for so long, when you and Randy could go to a District and started a new life. You even stayed when District 4 was willing to give you a well paid job for nursing! And now I'm supposed to just leave you because I want to go home? I can't do that."

"Listen okay? We. Will. Be. Fine." Delly says, putting effaces on each word, "If you're not going to believe me, why don't you come see Randy with me? I was going to go check on him anyway. I'm sure he will be happy to see you."

Randy hasn't seen me since before I left for the Hunger Games the first time. With everything that went on after that, I haven't had much time to see any of my friends and their family members, besides Delly who I would see once in a while at the Hob. Ever since we have been in the hospital, Delly and I haven't trusted myself for me to go near him, not only for protection, but because he has been through enough already and he shouldn't need to see what else the Capital was capable of. Delly thinks he was secretly scared me, too. He wouldn't even go into the cafeteria if I was in there.

"Do you think he will be afraid of me?" I ask once we reach the 8th floor and the elevator doors come to a screeching opening.

We walk out of the elevator and turn left down onto the west side wing, "He will be fine, just...let him approach you."

Once we get to Delly and Randy's compartment, Delly rummages through her back pocket to find the keys. Once she finds the keys and unlocks the door, she walks in, holding the door open to allow me in, too.

"Randy," Delly calls out once I shut the door, "Randy you home yet?"

I think it is interesting how Delly and Randy can easily call this place their home. It would have never felt like home to me, knowing that I _had_ a home back in District 12. No place would ever feel like home to me, no matter how long I stayed there for.

There is a shadow coming from the short narrow hallway where Randy then appears, "Yeah, I was just-" he stops mid sentence once his eyes fall on me.

At first he doesn't look like he knows what to do with himself, either stay put or run for safety. He moves his eyes around then suddenly looks at Delly, waiting for her to explain herself.

"Randy, Peeta isn't going to hurt you. You need to remember he has gotten treatment, he isn't like how he was when we got him back from the Capital. Look at him, does he look like he is going to hurt anyone?" Delly complains.

Slowly, Randy approaches me, circling me a few times, then even poking my face and backing up a few steps, expecting me to attack him. Once he looks satisfied that I am not planning to harm him, he answers, "Well, I guess not."

"Well you guess right. Now tell Peeta you're sorry."

"Delly," I say, "He has nothing to apologize for, he just did what everyone else would do if they saw what I was."

But Delly continues to look at Randy, waiting him to say it. Finally Randy looks to me and says, "No, I'm sorry. I could have been there like Delly was there for you and helped you out when you needed it. You helped _us _out when we were running low on food, so I should have been there for you."

I know what Delly said, for him to approach me first, so I hold out my arms to him. He grins and walks into my arms, and hugs me.

After a few hours go by, Randy and I are caught up to how each other's lives has gone.

"Randy," Delly says, "Peeta and I need to talk to you about something though."

"What's wrong," Randy asks, looking to Delly's face, to mine, then back again.

"Nothings 'wrong', it's just that, we need to tell you something. Peeta is going back to District 12 to stay there."

Randy looks at both of us again then back at Delly, "But what about us then?"

"We are going to stay here for a bit longer, just until District 8 has a compartment to let us live in. And then maybe, if we can handle it, we can go back to District 12 and live there."

Randy thinks about this for a moment, then he looks at me, "Are you going to be alright? I mean being back there, with everything there that used to stand, and Katniss and everything?"

Delly nudges him, "Randy that's none of your business."

I chuckle, "It's fine Dells. I'll be alright, it'll be hard at first, but I will be fine."

**X X X**

After I wake up and get ready I walk over to the train station like said. We planned three days ago that today I will be going back to District 12. It took a while to persuade the doctors to let me leave, considering they wanted to do a whole new experiment me, but eventually, we got them to agree.

Once I get to the train station, Dr. Aurelius , Delly, and Randy are there.

My heart jumps at the thought that I get to see Katniss today. I need to do something for her. I wrap Delly in my arms, "Thank you for everything Dells, I'll miss you."

Delly wraps her arms around me and hugs me back, "I'll miss you, too."

After I say goodbye to Randy, I walk over to Dr. Aurelius, "Thank you for helping me, I wouldn't be right here today if you have not."

He pats my shoulder, "You did really great. Remember, you must call at some point of the day every Monday and Thursday, okay?"

Every Monday and Thursday will be like an appointment for me and Dr. Aurelius to talk about everything that is going on, "I will."

After I say my last goodbyes, I get onto the train and head back to District 12.

**There you go, chapter four! Did you see why I put chapter three first, if you did, tell me! And thank you to everyone who made this series now have 10 followers! We should make that more! And to the people who put this story under alerts and favorites. Chapter five will hopefully be posted in the next week or so. Thank you! =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi everyone! I am sooooo sorry I haven't posted anything in over a week! I have been very busy with homework, projects, drama, and of course, procrastination! So, not only is this the LONGEST chapter but it is also CHAPTER FIVE! Can you believe it? I sure can't! Anyway, this is chapter consists on both Katniss and Peeta on how they feel when Peeta is back in District 12, and with that thought, yes in this chapter, Peeta is back in District 12. There was more I wanted to add, but I really liked how I ended the last paragraph, so I kept it as that.**

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**:TO ADVICE YOU: I DO NOT OWN FROM THE FIRST PARAGRAPH TO "BACK UPSTAIRS, I THROW OPEN THE BEDROOM WINDOWS TO CLEAR OUT THE REST OF SNOW'S STENCH" EVERYTHING AFTER THAT, IS WHAT I WROTE.**

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**-Katniss P.O.V-**

* * *

**Back to Un-reality**

I wake up with a start. Pale morning light comes around the edges of the shutters. The scraping of the shovel continues. I run down the hall, out the front door, and around the side of the house, because now I'm pretty sure I can scream at the dead. When I see him, I pull up short. His face is flushed from digging up the ground under the windows. In the wheelbarrow are five scraggly bushes.

"You're back," I say.

"Dr. Aurelius wouldn't let me leave the Capitol until yesterday," Peeta says, "By the way, he said to tell you he can't keep pretending he's treating you forever. You have to pick up the phone."

He looks well. Thin and covered with burn scars like me, but his eyes have lost that clouded, torturing look. He's frowning slightly, though, as he takes me in. I make a half-hearted effort to push my hair out of my eyes and realize it's matted into clumps. I feel defensive, "What are you doing?

"I went to the woods this morning and dug these up. For her," he says. "I thought we could plant them along the side of the house."

I look at the bushes, the clods of dirt hanging from their roots, and catch my breath as the word _rose _registers. I'm about to yell vicious things at Peeta when the full name comes to me. Not a plain rose but evening primrose. The flower my sister was named for. I give Peeta a nod of assent and hurry back into the house, locking the door behind me. But the evil thing is inside, not out. Trembling with weakness and anxiety, I run up the stairs. My foot catches on the last step and I crash onto the floor. I force myself to rise and enter my room. The smell's very faint but still laces the air. It's there. The white among the dries flowers in the vase. Shriveled and fragile, but holding on to that unnatural perfection cultivated in Snow's greenhouse. I grab the vase, stumble down to the kitchen, and throw its contents into the embers. As the flowers flare up, a burst of blue flame envelops the rose and devours it. Fire beats roses again. I smash the vase on the floor for a good measure.

Back upstairs, I throw open the bedroom windows to clear out the rest of Snow's stench. Hastily, I yank the phone from its case in the wall, almost ripping the case out of the wall along, and press on the numbers with too much force. After the third or so ring, Haymitch picks up on the other end, "I knew you would call." He sounds as if he knew, and he most likely did considering he didn't run right towards my house when he say Peeta. Suddenly, I knew that he knew. What he came to tell me last week was just him trying to hint me. Forgetting Haymitch is on the other line, I think back to that day,

_"Going into a strict routine like that is only going to mess you up more. You can't live your live on it forever, how do you think it's going to be when you get off that routine? There is a good chance you're going to be worse than before when you eventually get of this. But of course, there is no need to listen to me, it's not like I haven't given you life saving advice over the past three years or anything." Haymitch grunts, proceeding to walk out of my front door._

_ "Dr. Aurelius says that it is a good idea, at least for a while, that is. He doesn't want me to think about the last year as much as I have been. I haven't had free time on my hands in the last year if you haven't noticed, so I don't know what to do with myself. Look, I think that it will be a good idea for a bit." I snap._

_ Haymitch turns around when he is standing in the middle of the threshold and bellows a loud laugh, "There is no need to give me attitude, sweetheart. I'm just saying, think about the future too and not just the present." He opens his mouth as if to say something else, then closes it just as fast. He turns around on the balls of his heels and steps outside when I say, "What were you about to say?"_

_ Without turning around he says, "Just think about others in the future and how that will affect your routine."_

"You knew." I say it as a state, not asking.

"You finally understood my hint didn't you, sweetheart?" Haymitch seems rather amused of how slow I was. My brain was in its own little world at the time, only caring about being cautious and pushing away horrid memories, it didn't have time for _guessing games_.

"Why didn't you tell me?" It was more of a whisper, considering the huge lump forming in my throat. I try to swallow it back, but that just makes it harder to breathe.

"And how would you have reacted when I told you? I don't think you would have been happy about it, would you?"

At first, I was going to automatically say _No,_ but I catch myself. Would I have been upset about it? Horrified? Maybe a little at first, yes, but then I would need to force myself to get over it. Force doesn't seem like the right word to use in this situation, though; wait sounds like the right word. I would need to wait for mine and Peeta's relationship to grow back together, if it does. He came back for a reason, wither for facing District 12 or seeing me, I do not know, but he is back, and we will most likely see each other every day, from walking past each other at the Hob, to seeing each other two houses down, we will see each other. Right now, it is a little frightening to see the man who was considering me as a target. But then our years of changes run through my head, with images of the past, _Ally, Friend, Lover, Victor, Enemy, Fiancée, Target, Mutt, Neighbor, Hunter, Tribute, Ally..._  
All of it gives me a reason to trust Peeta, to lead him back into my life. Without him, I would be nothing, no matter what.

Without answering Haymitch's question, I put the phone back in its case on the wall, which ends the conversation. Slowly, I make my way towards one of the windows, peeking my head out just enough to see the top of Peeta's head, his blonde curls bouncing slightly when he bends up and down to plant an evening primrose. He suddenly freezes where he is and looks up where I am, but thankfully, I moved out of the way before he could catch a glimpse of me watching him.

Drops of sweat form at the creases of my forehead, making my face shimmer when the light hits it. I hurry myself into the bathroom, trying to stay out of sight of the window in case Peeta is still watching. Once I get into the bathroom and shut the door, securely locking it, I slide my back down the side of the door, leaning against it for support. It finally hits me that Peeta is back. Its more that he does not have anyone by his side to take him away when he starts to have a flashback. Last time I saw him in the hospital, he had about two to three guards accompanying him, along with a doctor or two, jotting down his every movements. But now, he is by himself, no guard, no doctor, just him. I didn't really expect to see this day again, yet again the help from and treatments, he didn't seem like he would ever get better. But I have been proven wrong.

Pushing myself up from the ground, I turn on the shower, making sure it is hot enough to get all the smells and dirt off me. While taking my clothes off in the process, I glimpse at all of my scars, one scaling its way from my rib to hip, another that starts at the top of my breast and curls around to my back, one on my thigh that makes it way down to my kneecap, just visible scars the size of a fingernail above my left eyebrow from the licks of fire. All of the scars suddenly make me self-conscious, which only forces me into the shower. The water feels like bath water at first, considering it was just as hot outside, but then it starts to burn my skin, as if flames are burning me to a pulp. Quickly turning the knob for the water to get cooler, I stand in the corner of the shower so the water only touches the tips of my toes. When the water is able to touch my skin without burning me, I stand under the water, having it pat the top of my head and roll down my face.

After cleaning my hair and scrubbing all the dirt off me, I shut off the shower and step out, enfolding myself in a towel. I follow through my morning steps, brushing my hair, putting it in its regular side braid, brushing my teeth, and put on a green short sleeve and dark blue pants, I head back to the window and peak my head outside once again. Peeta is gone, but his work looks finished. From seeing it at this angle it still looks beautiful, but I know it will look more ravishing once I see it up close. Stomping down the stairs, I go through the back door and out to the side of the house once again. At first, I stop in my tracks, awed by the flowers and how they are set up. then I slowly approach them. Bending down in front of the flowers, I graze my hand across one of the petals, afraid my touch will ruin it. A lump yet again form in my throat and I waste no time letting it out. It comes out more of a hiccup than a cry, but it catches someone's attention because a hand is now on my shoulder. The hand feels familiar, but then again it does not at all.

"Are you okay?" Peeta.

I tense up a bit from his voice and touch, which he seems to notice because he then swiftly takes his hand off my shoulder and mutters, "Sorry."

I take in a deep breath, pushing the sobs away, "It's fine."

Peeta kneels down beside me and looks at my face, how it is contorted with pain and awe, "If you really don't like them, I can dig them up. I should have asked before I just planted them."

I manage to stifle a laugh, though it comes out as a little cry, "Are you kidding; they are beautiful. Thank you for planting them."

Peeta looks at me for a moment and I look back. It is if we are trying to communicate through our eyes, trying to send each other a message that everything is alright and it is going to be that way. I see his body twitch a little. At first I think he is going to have a flashback, but his face shows that he is not even close to having one. His face shows sympathy and it's as if his body is projecting safety. At the same time, we embrace each other, holding one another in our arms as tight as we can. We stay like that for a minute until I suddenly let go and run straight into the house, slamming the door behind me. Running up the stairs, I pull down the stairs to the attic and climb up it, plopping myself down next to boxes. For as long as I can remember, I open each box and mourn over everything in it, Prim's clothes were saved from the fire, _you better tuck in that tail little duck_, my father's shoes that were slightly burned, _Are you, are you__, __Coming to the tree__, __Where they strung up a man they say murdered three.__Strange things did happen here__  
__No stranger would it be__If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.__Are you, are you__  
__Coming to the tree__Where the dead man called out for his love to flee.__Strange things did happen here__No stranger would it be__If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.__  
__Are you, are you__Coming to the tree__, __Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free.__  
__Strange things did happen here__, __No stranger would it be__If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.__Are you, are you__Coming to the tree__, __Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me. Strange things did happen here__, __No stranger would it be__If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_, a necklace Gale made for me, _"We could do it, you know. Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it."_, Cinna's designs, _"I always channel my emotions into my work. That way, I don't hurt anyone but myself."__... __"Remember, girl on fire, I'm still__ betting__on you."_

* * *

**-Peeta's P.O.V-**

* * *

I only needed to knock on Haymitch's door once before it flies open and I am brought into an embrace. He smells as if he has drunk all day and lied out in the sun all day, which he probably has, and should not do again.

Haymitch pulls back and keeps his hands on either side of my shoulders, "You look good." He pats my right shoulder and passes me, and walking onto the porch. He sits on a rocker and stays silent. I know it is hard for him to express feelings, and staying quite and drinking helps him to express it a bit. I know he missed me, I could tell in the embrace and when I talked to him on the phone in ' room. Walking over, I sit myself down on the rocker next to him, "You don't" I smirk.

The ends of Haymitch's mouth turns up into a small grin, "Don't be so mean right when you get back, I can still send you back." he sighs, "I hear you already reunited with Sweetheart."

Haymitch says that as a statement, not as a question. Maybe he saw me and Katniss? Haymitch sees the confusion on my face and speaks up, "She called me."

"Oh," is all I can say. Maybe she wasn't as happy as I thought she would be. I look down and think to myself; why did I think that I would just come back here and everything would go back to normal? As normal as it could get? It wasn't like I would just come back here and she would just accept me back into her life after everything I have done to her over the past few months.

Haymitch looks at me, "Your expectations got ahead of you, it's going to be a while for everything to go back to the way it was. Just give her some time and she will come around."

"I know that, Haymitch, I do. I think I made her a little worse, though. I planted some evening primroses on the side of the house, and she seemed happy about it, but when we hugged, she just got up and ran into the house."

"Peeta she isn't just upset about Prim's passing," Haymitch says after a minute.

I look up at him, "What do you mean?"

Haymitch sighs, "After Katniss left the hospital, she found out that her mother got a job at a hospital in District 3 because she couldn't stand to come back here and not see Prim, Gale left the other day for some job in District 2, Thom told her a few days ago that Madge is dead, Katniss found that the cabin her and her father used to go to, the one where she talking to Twill and Bonny, is barely standing because of the war, she's too afraid to go into Prim's room-" Haymitch stops himself from going on, "She is just going through a lot now."

All I can do is just look at him. I knew Katniss was having a hard time, but I didn't expect some of that. Her mother...just left her. Prim was not her only daughter, but her mother sometimes acted like it. Her mother is truly a great woman, but sometimes, she just doesn't make the best choices. "I didn't think it would be that bad." Is all I can say.

"You did a good thing of coming back though, now she has one less person to worry about,"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"She was worried about you, Peeta. She never said so, but you could tell when you were brought up in a conversation, or when she talks to , she indirectly asks how you are. But now that you are here, she can know how you are, instead of stressing about it."

Even though everything I just heard, that thought makes me feel warm inside. After everything I did to Katniss, she still worried about me? I begin to feel some mixed feelings, some bad and some good. I need to stop thinking too much about her now. Standing up slowly, I turn to Haymitch, "Thank you for tell me all of that. But now I think I am at my limit."

Haymitch nods, knowing that I can't think about this anymore without having an episode, and goes back into his house. I walk up to my house that I haven't been in for over six months and bend over to lift up the matt which has my house key under it. I grab it and put the key into the door, wiggling it a couple of times before it finally opens. Right when I walk in dust and a rusty smell enfold me and I cough, trying to get the dust out of my lungs. It isn't as bad as I expected it would be, but it isn't that great either. If every room is the same as this room, the walls are going to need a paint job, and the furniture will need a scrub down.

Walking into the kitchen, I notice there is a new smell. A smell of rotten and moldy food. Another thing to do, buy new food. Grabbing a trash bag from under the counter, I go through every cabinet and through the fridge and throw everything out. Even spices and other ingredients that can last longer than six months are thrown out because of all the dust. I will need to call the Capital and get them to send new supplies for baking.

After, I take out all the dishes and silverware and wash them for who knows how long. I try to get every smudge of it all, waiting until they all shine. After that I go into the living room and take the green blanket off the back of the couch to go shake all the dust off it outside. Once I get outside and begin to shake the blanket over the railing of the porch, I heard a muffled cry. I place the blanket on the railing and walk down the three steps when I hear the cry again. As quietly as I can, I walk to where the sound it coming from. Once I get in front of Katniss' house, I knock on the door a few times, even though she won't hear me from how loud her cry is.

Taking in a deep breath, I turn the knob, but it is locked. Katniss doesn't have a porch matt but she does have a small plant next to the door. I dig my hand under, around, and in the plant until I finally find a pair of shiny keys. I put it into its key hole and turn them until I hear the _click_. Letting out the deep breath I open the door and walk inside, silently closing the door behind me. Right when I walk in, images of Katniss' mom, Prim, Haymitch, Katniss, the two from the Capital, and I in the kitchen and living room play through my mind. I then look at the table and the image of Gale unconscious on the table and Katniss' head resting on his arm play through my mind. I suddenly feel a pang of jealously goes through my chest and I walk up the stairs to see the attic stairs down.

"Katniss?" I slowly start to walk up the stairs to the attic, peeking my head through the top when I get there, "Katniss."

She is curled up in the middle of the attic, surrounded by boxes with items hanging out of them. She is clutching a dress against her chest, crying into it. At first, I thought it was one of her old dresses she had from when she was little, but then I look at it closer, and realize it is what Prim had worn the day or the Reaping.

I guess she didn't hear me because she is still crying into the dress. I climb the rest of the way up to the attic and walk in, standing a few feet away from her. I stay silent and wait for her to look up at me.

She freezes and slowly tilts her head to see me standing on the balls of my feet, watching her. Katniss quickly puts everything back into the box and stands up, wiping her eyes and nose with the back of her hand. I reach into my pocket and take out a handkerchief that I was using earlier to put the evening primroses in and take two strides to her and hold it out. She hesitates a moment, then takes it from my hands, wiping her eyes then reluctantly blowing her nose. "What are you doing here?" Katniss says after she regains herself.

"I was outside on my porch and I heard you crying. I thought you got hurt, so I came to check on you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine," she snaps.

At first, I am taken aback, but then I realize that I am talking to the new Katniss, the one that lost her sister, mother, father, and best friend, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, she is the one taken aback, probably from me being nice to her after she is being mean to me. She walks over to the stairs hanging down from the floor, "Sorry..I just...need to get out of here."

She walks down the steps and I am quickly behind her, helping her close the stairs back into the attic when we get down. "If you want to get out," I say, "I could always use some help cleaning up my house-if you want to, of course."

When she doesn't answer me at first, I start to walk towards the door to leave her to think when her voice stops me, "I can help."

With a grin, I turn around and hold the door open for her, but she turns towards the kitchen and comes back a few minutes later with cleaning supplies. With a small chuckle, I close the door behind us and walk to my house, ready to clean my home with the woman I still love.

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**Okay so there you go, Chapter five! I know Katniss was a little OCC, but face it, would you act tough after you lost your sister, and your mom and best friend leave you, after there was a huge war and all of that? I did not think so. Peeta is a little OCC as well, considering he is facing the girl he has tried to murder for months on end, but I thought that they should have a pretty good reunion. So, chapter six will be posted in a two week span. I will most likely post it before that, but considering I never started the chapter yet, I am busy, and procrastination, I am just giving a heads up if something like this happens again and I do not post for a while. THANK YOU AND PLEASE FOLLOW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! I am so so so so so terribly sorry that I haven't posted anything in three weeks! I have been very busy, add problems with friends on that, English MCAS (MCAS is Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. I guess it's considered Mid Terms for some of you) , drama performance this week, sick, trying to finish a book (City of Ashes), and procrastination. I expected to type, edit, and post this last week, but all I wrote was three pages. I finished all six pages a little while ago! This again, is a short story; I usually like to get and 8-10 page story (I'm talking about when I type in on Microsoft, sorry if I am as confusing as I think I'm sounding). This chapter, An Unexpected Occurrence, is in Peeta's P.O.V. and as you can probably guess from the name of the chapter, and unexpected occurrence happened. Have fun reading!**

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**-Peeta's P.O.V-**

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**An Unexpected Occurrence**

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_It's been a week since I have been back in District 12. Everything has been as great as it can be in this messed up world. I had an episode, yes, but it was not like any of the other ones. I fended it off myself; grabbed onto the back of a chair, and stayed like that until the memories went away. My house is back to normal again, after Katniss and I had cleaned it for hours on end. We cleaned, threw out old and moldy items, ordered furniture that needed to be taken place by the ones that cannot be fixed, and painted a few rooms. Katniss and I haven't talked since, though. After we finished cleaning the house, she just packed up her cleaning supplies and left. I haven't tried to push myself at her, that would only make her push herself back further. She needs some time to readjust to everything, as do I._  
_~Peeta_

Putting the letter into an envelope and licking it shut, I hand the letter to Sae to bring to the Hob and be put into the bin for exporting. Everything that needs to go out of the District goes to the bin to be sent off by the train to its destination. My letter's destination will be to Delly. She hasn't written me yet since I came here, but I remembered how she wanted me to tell her how everything was. After handing it to Sae, I felt a pang in my stomach, realizing that I never even asked Delly how her and Randy are doing, but I'm sure Delly will understand that my mind is on end now and it didn't hit me until after the thought.

Sae has brought food to my house because I am still too afraid to go to the Hob. I would need to face where the bakery used to stand. I would need to face where Katniss got slashed in the face with a whip for protecting Gale. The school, Delly's parents shoe store, where Katniss and I used to pull Haymitch away when we passed the liquor store, the Seam-I need to face it all at some point.

The click of the door closing brings me back to reality, making me jump out of my seat and race to reach Sae out the door. She is just passing the vacant house next to Katniss' when I catch up to her, "Sae, Sae-" I catch my breath once I reach her, "Do you mind if I bring the letter to the bin?"

Sae looks at me for a minute, "Peeta, hunny, are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I nod, "I need to go there sometime and I should do it today before I chicken out."

"Well, alright," Sae puts the letter in my hand, then closes my hands around it, "Would you like me to keep you company?"

I would say yes, but Sae has gotten pretty busy since people slowly started coming back to District 12. So far, there is only about a good seventy or eighty of us here, but all of us rely on each other to help one another out. "It's okay, I know how busy you are; thank you for asking though."

She looks at me for a moment, as if to think this is the best idea, then gives a slow nod, "Okay then, but if you need me, I'll be at the Lendwicks."

Sae turns around and stocks off, and I turn the opposite direction back towards my house to put on fresh clothes and shoes, realizing that I am still in sweat pants and an old baking shirt and barefooted. Once I get into my room, I go through the bureau until I find dark blue jeans and green shirt. Once I have my clothes and shoes on, I take a deep breath and step out of my house and walk towards the Hob.

When I leave Victors Village, I feel the need to have Katniss next to me to keep my nerves down, which are making a lump in my throat, making it hard to breath. At this point, I'm sucking in deep breaths, and wrapping my thumbs and forefingers in the loops of my jeans so they don't shake. Images start to flash through my mind, blocking my eye sight, but I push them back and continue walking forward. My head starts to twitch from side to side without command and I feel myself losing grip on reality. I suck in another deep breath and hold it for a bit, forcing my brain to slow down and stop itself from having an episode. The Hob is right in front of me now; the flashbacks flood through my mind so quickly it feels like I have been slapped across the face. _Katniss._ No, no it's not Katniss, I tell my brain, Its. Not. Katniss.

Quickly, I trudge over to the bin, ignoring the concerned and frightened stares I'm getting from the citizens walking by. The bin is in eye sight, but my legs are refusing to move forward, as if my feet are glued to the warm, mid-spring ground. My hands suddenly fly to cover my face, which makes the sharp end tip of the envelope scratch the top of my forehead.

_Move forward! _I command myself in my head. My legs feel like heavy steel, but slowly, I move them forward. I take my hands off my face to see where I am going, and I accidentally get a glimpse at where Katniss was slashed with a whip. My head jerks and faces where the bakery used to stand in the distance. Suddenly, I break down, shrinking to my knees and crying as if I am a child. Through the blur of tears, I see a few people stop and watch me, hesitating if they should come forward and help me, as broken as I am. But then I feel two small but firm hands under my arms, pulling me to my feet. I don't even look to see who it is, for I knew from the touch of her hands. Katniss soothes me, saying hush words, while walking me somewhere, where I do not look to see.

"Shh, shh," She soothes while keeping a gentle grip on my arm to drag me along with her.

Through the dripping tears, I notice that we are approaching Victors Village, but we don't walk to my house to leave me be, where I thought she would take me. But yet, she walks me up her walkway, up the stairs of the porch, and through the front door. Before I can ask where she is taking me, she gently pulls me up the stairs and into the room I thought I would never be again.

Katniss' hands slide down my arms to connect with my hands, and she walks me over to her bed, where I automatically lay down and curl up into a ball. She walks over to the other side of the bed and slowly lowers herself next to me, where she runs her hand soothingly across my head, still making soothing sounds to attempt to calm me down. She looks at me and sees that her attempts aren't helping, even though I am trying to let them, she then lays down next to me, close enough so that her back is brushing my chest, and takes my arms and wraps them around her.

Slowly, I un-curl my legs and pull her close to me, smelling in her scent. Woods and lilac soap. My sobs turn into small weeps, while I bury my head in her hair. I can feel her hand gently running up and down my forearm, again trying to attempt to sooth me, which it does. My weeps then turn into slow breaths, and I whisper, "Stay with me."

The last thing I hear before consciousness slips away from me is Katniss murmur, "Always."

I wake with a small breeze on my face and something tickling the bottom of my nose. Opening one eye, I see that the breeze is gently blowing the tips of Katniss' hair on my face. Katniss. I blink three times to realize where I actually am. I am in Katniss' house, in Katniss' bed, with Katniss next to me. Truly, I never expected to have this again, like it used to be; but yet here I am.

Katniss' deep breaths tell me that she is still asleep. Sometime during the night we must have moved around, because now our legs are linked together, with her head on my chest, and my arms around her protectively. I feel Katniss shiver a little under my arms, and realize that she is probably cold from the breeze. I don't remember the window being open when she brought me in here, though. Gently, I run my hands up and down her arms to attempt to warm her, but all it does it wake her up. Her eyes dart open and look around the room, but then land on my face.

We stare at each other for what seems like hours, but only a minute goes by. She then looks down at how we were sleeping, which makes me unravel my arms from her, then back up at me, "Hi," she says sheepishly.

I grin at her, "Hello," my grin fades away, "Katniss?"

"Yes?"

"Why," I ask, "why did you do that? Why did you help me?"

At first, she only looks at me, as if she had lost her voice, but then she slowly opens her mouth, "I-" she tries to find words, "I was walking to the corner store to talk to Tymor Glenmont about trade when I saw a small crowd. When I saw a figure on the ground, I thought someone was hurt, so I went to go help. But then...I saw it was you, and...I didn't know what to do at first. I saw that people were too afraid to approach you and I knew that you needed help, and then the next thing I knew, I was walking you here. I wanted to help. I...wanted to help." She turns her head and looks out the window, letting the breeze pull her hair back.

"Katniss..." I can't seem to find the correct words to thank her in the best way possible, and when she looks back at me, she also sees it in my face. The next thing I know, her lips brush my cheek. It was just one small kiss on the cheek, but still, it sends my heart racing. I wrap my arms back around her and hold her close, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

We look at each other one last time, then we both pull away from each other and go our separate ways.

**Soo, what did you think? I know it has only been a week since Peeta has been back in District 12, and he really only saw Katniss one day before this day, I wanted Katniss to show Peeta that she still cares for him. Of course, the Hob has some new and old changes in it, the new things, like the corner store and bin is one of the new things (it sounds stupid to point it out, but they will prolong in following stories), and the old changes, where the bakery used to stand, where the slashing of the whip was, also helps me write how Peeta feels about everything after the war is over. I have not started a chapter 7 yet, so it might take a week or two for a new story to be up. Please remember, that I have a lot of things going on now, so I will try to post a new one as soon as possible! Please...FOLLOW AND REVIEW 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys! I am so so so sorry that I didn't post anything on Friday. My dad bought me a new laptop on I think Tuesday, because my other laptop was just not going to work anymore. So my new laptop didn't have Microsoft word on it yet, so I had to wait until Sunday to get it from my nana and papa's. Thennn I realized that my new laptop only takes flash drives and I had all of my stories on cd's so I had to transfer everything. SO I AM SO TERRIBLY SORRY THAT I DID NOT POST ANYTHING. On another note, WHO SAW THE CATCHING FIRE TEASER TRAILER LAST NIGHT? It was awesome, I almost cried. Oh! And sorry in advance that Katniss is a little OCC, I will explain more at the bottom. Anyway, I talk too much, have fun reading!**

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**-Katniss P.O.V-**

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**Hot on Cold**

_Their shallow, unforgotten eyes pierce my own, forcing me to look back into their black pupils. Any color that used to sit there, any joy or happiness or excitement, is taken place by the eyes of a demon; eyes that look like coal. But yet, there is only one pair of eyes that remain, wither the eyes were forgotten or merely because they are owned by a still living human, I don't know but, the color of its eyes stay the same._

I wake in a cold sweat, with only one word on my lips. Peeta. My hand flies to my head, pushing the word and the dream away, though it will reappear again tonight. This dream has formed the day after I helped Peeta from the Hob and brought him back to my home, caring for him the way I should have long ago. Every night, the eyes of Cato, Clove, Foxface, Thresh, Rue, Glimmer, Marvel, Finnick, Mags, Wiress, Cinna, Prim, President Snow, Seneca Crane, President Coin, Boggs, Brutus, Cashmere, Gloss, Chaff, Darius, Jackson, Madge, the Morphlings, my father, Peeta's family, Portia, Seeder, everyone who died, their eyes are on me while I stand on the stage, rose in hand. But yet every time, a color bursts from the shadows of the crowd, to only be owned by Peeta. The dream has no point, really, but every time, it chokes me to the point of tears.

With a sigh I sit up in bed, letting my legs dangle off the edge. A burst of humid wind rushes through the room, making my face heat up. I forgot to shut the window when Peeta left. A shiver runs through my body, even though I am not cold. With a grunt, I get up and walk over to the window, about to shut it when a figure catches my eye. At first, the figure is too far away, but it looks relatively big for just one person. Then the figure turns into two and I realize that it is two people walking towards Victors Village. The sun is shining on their bodies, making everything on them black. From the way the person on the left is walking, I can tell that it is Haymitch, by the way he is bent over just a enough so that his back has a small hump. At first, it is hard to figure out the person on the right, by the way the sun is reflecting on them, but then the blue eyes glisten with white sparks and then I know who it is.

I slam the window shut and yank the shades together so that the inside of my bedroom cannot be seen from the outside. Right now, I can't even look at Peeta, let alone talk to him. When I helped Peeta, I thought it would have been a good idea to bring him back to my home and calm him the only way I knew possible, but it turns out, it made me more afraid to go near him again. Just being near him makes me feel as if the war is still going on and everyone is still dying because of me, because I couldn't give myself up to President Snow. Peeta should have killed me when he had the chance, Cato should have killed me when he had the chance, Thresh and Clove should have killed me when they had the chance; all of these people would still be alive if they had. Half of Panem would have been alive if someone had killed me.

Without my command, my legs start moving out of the room and down the stairs, through the living room, and into the kitchen. My legs give out, feeling like Jell-O, and I slide against the counter to the ground, tears beginning to block my view. A sob starts to climb up my stomach and into my throat but with all my energy, I push it back down, knowinust give me another speech of how I am not the only one who has it bad now and I just can't see Peeta. At once, a million of memories run through my mind; everyone and anyone who died, clothes and shoes laying carelessly in the ashes of burnt down buildings, children walking aimlessly around trying to find their parents, my sister being blown up in the Capital-

Without realizing it, a loud sob escapes my mouth and makes my body shake uncontrollably. A mix between sobs and groans escape my mouth every time I suck in a deep breath and huff it out. My eyes are as if they are glued shut, but tears still stream out of them. A sound erupts the house, but I am too far gone to see what it was, let alone open my eyes. The sound of footsteps start to come closer then stop right in front of me. Something grabs my hands and rips something out of them; I didn't realize I was holding something. A liquid that feels warm and wet starts to well up in my hand and the smell of blood fills my senses. I must have held a knife. My eyes open wide when someone pulls me roughly into their arms. Haymitch. _Why isn't Peeta the one helping me, _I think to myself, but then shake the thought out of my mind. _You don't need Peeta; you aren't good for his health and he isn't good for yours!_

"What exactly do you think you're doing, committing suicide?" Haymitch grunts, "You aren't the only 'damsel in distress' you know, there are plenty of other people around that are going through the same thing as you right now-"

"Hey," Peeta's voice interrupts Haymitch, making me jump, "She could have just killed herself and you're probably making her feel worse."

"I wasn't going to kill myself," I mumble, trying to stop my crying.

"You had a knife in your hand, it cut your palm," Haymitch says, lifting my hand up and showing me. Even though I knew the knife cut me from the feel and smell of the blood, looking at the gash shows how bad it was. My palm looks as if it is a small pool of blood, with my skin sticking up at edge. It looks horrid, though it does not faze me.

"You need to get stitches," Peeta says, eyeing the wound more closely.

"I'm fine," I snap, pulling my hand out of Haymitch's grasp. I wince from the pain that shoots from my hand to my shoulder, but it is barely noticeable from the fact that I am still shaking.

"No Katniss, you're not," Peeta says, stepping towards me, his arm outstretched as if to grab me. Wishing I didn't, I look into his eyes, seeing the blue that is remained. I shrink away from him and run into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

"Come on Katniss, just open up the door so we can fix your hand," Peeta bangs on the door. I can hear the concern creeping into his voice, but I try not to listen to it.

Before I can think, words start to flow out of my mouth, "No, there is no 'we', there is no 'fixing', there is nothing! I don't want you to help me, I don't want you; do you get it? I. Don't. Want. You. So just go away!" I scream through the door.

Peeta lets out a shuttered breath and says nothing. Once I hear that, I know that it hurt him, but I can't take it back. There is _nothing_ that I can take back. A tear drops down and onto my palm, making it sting to the point that a small scream escapes my lips. I hear Peeta breathe another shuttered breath and before I know it, I open the door and his arms are around me. Both of my hands are on his chest while he holds me close to him.

"I don't want this. I don't want me. I don't want any of this. I'm not good for your health and you're not good for mine." I repeat continuously, crying into Peeta's shirt.

Peeta doesn't say anything, he just keeps one arm around me and has his hand rubbing my head with the other. I know I hurt him but yet he still continues to care for me.

Haymitch clears his throat from behind Peeta, "Sae's here."

Slowly, I move my head just enough so that Peeta's shoulder is not blocking my view. Sae stands a step behind Haymitch, holding a kit which must be full of medical supplies. I then realize about my hand again, and how it is on Peeta's shirt. I take my hand away and look at the blood that has smeared on his shirt and most likely gone through it. The blood is dripping down and onto my arm now, making a small pool of blood on the floor as well. I open my mouth as if to say sorry, but nothing comes out. Peeta seems to know what I was trying to do, "It's alright." He lets go of me and walks away, turning the corner so that he cannot be seen anymore.

"You hurt him, his feelings," Sae makes it a statement, not a question. She looks at me then walks away, wanting me to follow her. She guides me into the kitchen and points for me to sit down. Peeta is on the other side of the kitchen, looking out the window that it above the sink.

Sae sits across from me at the table and takes my hand, holding it so that my palm is facing straight up. Haymitch comes over with a small bucket filled with water and a cloth, placing it on the table. Some of the water splashes out of the bucket and sprinkles down onto my hand, making it burn. So I don't scream, I squeeze my eyes and mouth shut, putting my head down on the table.

"I know, it's going to hurt, but I am going to do this as fast as I can, okay?" Sae waits for a moment then continues, "Now, I need you to open your hand as much as it can, no matter how much it hurts."

I do as she says, flattening my hand as much as it can. The stinging and burning sensation was almost bearable, but now my broken skin being stretched out makes the pain intolerable. With my free hand, I grip the table and squeeze it, letting some of my pain out instead of screaming. I hear footsteps then a door open and shut, then Sae saying, "Go, check if he is alright." Then another round of walking and a door opening and closing shut. Peeta must have left, then Haymitch.

"I am going to clean the gash now, okay? It is okay to scream, if you like."

I brace myself for the pain to come, but I mentally tell myself that I will not scream. I went through more pain than this, and just because I am weak now, mentally and emotionally, does not give me the right to have some pain faze me. When the warm cloth with the dripping water touches my pain, a sudden wish to hurt the person that is hurting me comes to mind. I push the thought away and grip onto the table with all that I can. The silence in the house makes my mind drift more to the pain, so through gripped teeth so I do not scream, I ask, "How do you know how to do this? The stitching a hand I mean."

Sae laughs a little, "It is kind of like sewing a skirt, but only with a few differences."

For a moment I am silent, but then I whisper, "Why does he stay? Why…why does he help?"

At first, I thought Sae didn't know what Ii meant by her silence, but then she sighs, "Well Katniss, there is something that you need to understand. He did not come back to District 12 for the reasons of wanted to get his life back on track, or at least back to how things used to be, he didn't just come back because he wanted to be where he grew up, Katniss, he came back for you; he wanted to be with you. Peeta…well Peeta still isn't all there right now, if you understand what I mean. His mind still drifts off from time to time. Now, he may act like he is alright, that everything about him is better, but it is not. I have seen him on many occasions in his home hanging on to something for dear life, trying to fight back memories, or episodes as he calls them." She continues, "I heard what you said to Peeta in the hallway, how you two aren't good for each other health. That might sound true, but if you think about it, you two needed each other since day one. You two balanced each other out, you two are the only ones that know how the other feels. Yes, Haymitch might know a little, but you two have gone through many different obstacles rather from the other Victors and the other citizens. Overall Katniss, you two need each other to survive."

Sae's words shock me. I didn't see any of those words coming. She is right though, even though I don't want to think that, but she is; Peeta and I do need each other, no matter what. "I hurt him," I whisper.

"He will get over that, he will. You should have seen his face, Katniss. Even when you said all of that to him, he still had a look of concern on him. Before he left, it looked as if he just wanted to hold you and keep you safe, to protect you. I would guess he left because of the blood, most likely he started to think of memories, false memories."

Even though the pain from my hand is still there, my mind forgets about it. I need to take back everything that I said to him, everything that I said to Peeta. All of that that I said to him is not true, I do need him and he does need me, I just never let myself realize it.

"There," Sae says, her smile creeping up in her voice, "How did I do? You would know how a fine stitching would look like." She means by how many times I seen my mother stitch, I suppose.

Slowly, I lift my head and open my eyes. It is excellent, to my surprise. I turn my hand a from side to side a few times to look at it from different angles, but I cannot seem to find anything wrong with it, "It's great, thank you."

"No problem, hunny," She smiles.

**X X X X**

Once I enter my room, I look around at its surroundings. Everything is like it should be. After a minute of standing there, I walk over to the window and open it, letting the cold wind rush to my face. After that, I walk over to the bed and lay down, tucking myself in. I notice that I am laying on the side that Peeta did, but I don't move, I breathe in the scent of him that still lingers. Tonight, I know that I will have my dream, but it will be different. In my dream, I dream about the blue eyes that protected me since day one.

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**Soooo how did you like it? Sorry if Katniss was a little OCC and everything, but you need to understand that she went through a lot and all of it was really catching up to her, again. Also, Peeta was not in the story as much as I wanted too (because I just love writing about him soo much) but I really wanted to focus this story on how Katniss feels about how Peeta came back. And sorry for making Katniss seem suicidal at one point, she isn't so…don't worry. Please please please write a review, I love hearing what you guys need to hear. And write any suggestions you would like, and I would love to read it. Actually, I would like suggestions because I am getting some writers block! But anyway PLEASE REVIEW AND FOLLOW! :')**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello all! I am so terribly sorry that I haven't posted! I would have been able to post last Tuesday but then I sunk into a procrastination state again and I never finished typing the last couple of pages. I hate posting on a weekday because people could be busy with school or homework or something, but since I haven't posted anything in a while, I thought 'what the heck!' I would have posted on Saturday but I had a drama fest and that was 15 hours long (We won a silver and I was one out of four in my play to win an acting award!). ANYWAYYYY this chapter is just kind of about Peeta and Katniss attempting to act normal after everything that has gone on and such. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT 3  
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**-Peeta P.O.V-  
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**Shifting Destiny  
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With a swipe of my hands across my pants, all the dirt and water leave my sweaty palms. It's the middle of April now, the sun is starting to stand out all day, and leaves when the sky turns a warm red-blue. Today though, it feels as if it is mid-July, the sun beaming down with a mixture of dry air with humid wind. It's not good for my vegetable garden, which I am tirelessly working on now. I started it a good two and a half weeks ago, the day after Katniss' meltdown. That day still re-plays in my mind like a broken record, only instead of the annoying scratching sound, Katniss' weeping is what replaces it. We've talked a few times, a hello, how are you doing, and goodbye at the most when we see each other on occasions. There is so much more I would like to talk to her about, anything to keep us close, but I feel as if she wants to get as far away from me as possible, considering how I almost ran out of her house when she was getting her hand stitched. All of the blood, her crying, the pain on her face- it made me image how she was like that before, and how those images contorted with the mislead images, urging me towards an episode.

_When I left the house, I ran to mine, struggling to open the door. Someone grabbed my elbow, and I almost but turned around and punched whoever it was in the jaw. Haymitch backed away a few steps when he saw my face, how my eyes were as dark as the midst ocean, almost black when the moon doesn't glisten onto it. _

_ "Peeta," Haymitch had said to me, "Peeta what on earth do you think you're doing, trying to punch old men? There should be a law against that you know, trying to hurt your elders." He knew that I was not deep into an episode, he would know if I was. This was a verge of an episode, fortunately I got out of her home in time. _

_ "I'm sorry," I shake my head, trying to get the mislead memories out, as if they will flow out of my ears, "I...I- I don't know what got into me. M-maybe I should go back and help out." I start to step by Haymitch when he puts a hard hand on my shoulder, pulling me back enough so that I am in front of him, "I don't really think that is a good idea. You just got out of there in time, as you said, to void a flashback; going back there not even a few minutes after would not be the best idea. Now go in my house, I'll be there in a minute." _

_ Haymitch stayed standing and waited for me to move, but it felt as if my feet are nailed to the porch. All I really wanted to do is go back to Katniss' house and help her._

_ "Now boy!" Haymitch snapped. _

Haymitch and I stayed at his house for a few hours, talking about taking shifts keeping an eye on Katniss, if she did anything else. Our plan ended up not working as well as we wanted, due to the fact that every day since that day, she has spent all of her time in the woods, going from sun rise to sun down. Haymitch and I don't dare to go into the woods; that is where Katniss can go only, almost like she owns it.

"Hi," the familiar voice makes me freeze, as if I am a statue. I take my hands off of my pants and turn around to face the person, "Hi."

Katniss points next to me at the garden, "What are you doing?"

I turn over to face the garden, and watch Katniss take a step closer to examine it, out of the corner of my eye, "A vegetable garden. And a few other things, like herbs."

"Ah, it sounds like a good idea with all the baking you need to do."

Since I have been able to go to the Hob, I decided to go around to houses and other stores to see if they want sweets or bread. Since there is no bakery (I haven't even looked where the bakery used to stand), I take my orders home and cook in the kitchen.

"Indeed it is. It's easier than calling the Capital every other week and asking for ingredients. I still need to call for a few ingredients though, but the Capital doesn't seem to mind my asking all the time. They even give everything to me half price." I say the last sentence with a grin playing across my face.

"They will never stop repaying us, will they? Even though we have enough money to pay full price." Katniss laughs.

My grin turns into a full-out smile hearing her laugh, "Don't worry, I always throw in some extra money when I bring the envelope to the bin."

"That's good," Katniss says, looking down at her feet.

I turn my attention back to her, concern washing over my face, "What's wrong?"

Katniss takes a deep breath and then looks up at me with guilt washed across her face, "I'm really sorry for what I said to you." She says, meaning the day at her house two and a half weeks ago, "I didn't mean what I said. I do need you, no matter how much I tried not to, I do."

I take a step closer to her so that we are arm's length away from each other, "Katniss there is no need for you to apologize. I knew you didn't mean it, even though I acted like I didn't. Just hearing you say it…just shocked me."

Katniss looks back down at her feet, "So it did hurt you." She says as a more as a statement rather than a question.

With a sigh I say, "I said shocked not hurt. But think about it, if you were in my shoes, you would feel the same way, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I would, wouldn't I," her voice sounds soft and almost childlike, as if she were caught doing something wrong and an adult was reprimanding her.

With a little hesitation, I put my hand on Katniss' wrist, as a caring gesture. "Did you say that you needed me?" I ask.

Katniss' eyes have moved from her feet to my hand laying lightly against her wrist, "I did, actually."

"Speaking of 'need'," I say, trying to change the subject, "I need your help."

Katniss takes her eyes off her wrist and my hand and turns her attention to me, "Need help with what?"

I grin when I hear the curiosity in her voice, "With the garden of course!"

"Let me just warn you, I had a small plant once, it died after a week," Katniss tries to be serious, but the playfulness is clearly heard in her voice.

"Then you," I say, bending down to grab gloves from that lay carelessly on the wood that boarders the garden, "can dig holes big enough to fit the seeds."

Katniss takes the gloves out of my hands and puts them on, "Seems simple enough."

For the next hour, Katniss makes holes in the garden and puts new seeds in while I water all the growing plants and the new holes. There is little to no silence between us while we talk about what has gone on around Panem, and when there is silence it isn't uncomfortable but rather soothing. Once it gets too hot out to work any long I put down the hose shut off the water, "I think this is good enough for today; anymore water and these plants will be over hydrated."

Katniss takes off the gloves and lays them back where there were before I handed them to her, "Thank god, I thought I was going to die from heat stroke or something."

A grin spreads across my face, "Well come on then," I say, "I have lemonade inside if you want some."

I start to walk inside my house from the back door when I notice her hesitation. I stop and turn back to her, "You don't need to come in if you don't want to, I understand. It's just a suggestion."

Katniss stands there a moment, as if she is weighing her options then begins to walk to the house, "Lemonade sounds nice." Her voice though, still has a tad of uncertainty in it.

I open the back door that leads into the kitchen and step aside so Katniss can go in first. She gives a shy smile and walks in, standing by the sink next to the door. Once I come inside and shut the door, I walk over to the refrigerator and take out the pitcher of lemonade. When my hand makes contact with the ice-cold glass pitcher, it sends a cool blast through my body. It feels good, something that I needed. Putting the pitcher on the counter, I walk reach up and open the cabinet above, taking out two large glass cups and place them down on the counter. After I pour lemonade into both of the cups, I walk over to where Katniss is standing and hand here the cup, "Here you go."

Katniss reluctantly takes the cup out of my hand, "Thanks." She says, and downs half of the glass.

After I take a few sips of my lemonade I ask, "Would you like to sit down or…" I let my voice trail off, knowing that Katniss knows that I don't mind standing here if she would rather this than sit.

"We can sit; we have worked on your garden for a while," Katniss points out, then follows me as I stride over to the new pear colored loveseat. We sit far apart from each other so that the only way we could touch is if we stretched across the loveseat. As much as I wanted to be closer to Katniss, I knew that she is still getting used to my presence, and even though I don't want to admit it to myself, I am need to get used to hers. It still scares me sometimes, being this close to her. After fighting back false-memories for so many months and causing trouble because of my outbursts with those memories, I can still be so close to her now and not feel those false-memories as much as I used to. The memories do come, though, not as much as they used to.

"How are the orders going? For baking I mean." Katniss asks, trying to start a new conversation so we don't slip into an uncomfortable place.

"Better than I thought it would, actually. I didn't really expect people to trust me enough to handle food to give to them." I say, mumbling the last sentence. Katniss understands what I mean, though. People could actually think that I would do something to their food. They don't understand that I only had outburst because of Katniss; they truly thought that the Capital made me crazy for a number of things. People actually thought that I would want to drug or poison or just outright kill them. Most people in District 12 know better, know me for who I truly am and know that I would never do such a terrible thing, but there are very few people here that came from another District that think I would harm them.

"But you would never do such a thing; stoop to the level of the old Capital. Your heart isn't cruel like that." Katniss attempts to reassure me, though I can see she isn't completely sure on what to say.

"Most people in 12 trust me, it's just going to take some time for everyone to accept that I am not one of the Capitals puppets anymore,"

"We were all one of their puppets before, even the citizens of Panem, even if they didn't notice it. They all followed what the Capital said, no matter how cruel it was, they did it. They were more of their puppets than you were." Katniss says, saying the last sentence with such a soft and positive voice that if I didn't know how miserable she has been, I wouldn't realize that this girl had so much loss in her life.

"Thank you," Our eyes lock for a moment until I am the one who forces my eyes towards the window, "It looks like it's getting windy out."

Katniss moves her eyes towards the window, "We could have used that wind an hour ago instead of the heated wind."

Chucking, I comment, "That would have been helpful."

Out of the corner of my eye I can see that Katniss still has her gaze on the outdoors, "It really is getting bad out there isn't it?" she says, "I might as well leave now before it gets too bad."

"That's a good idea," I frown slightly, but not enough for Katniss to notice. I knew should wouldn't have stayed for too long, but there was a small part of me hoping that she would. There is also a small part of me that just wants to hold her tight and protect her in my arms, protect her from this world that is changing around us.

We both get up at the same time and walk over to the door. Before I can open it for her, her hand is already on the knob and turns it slightly before looking back at me, "Thank you for the lemonade."

_Thank you for helping me with the garden_ is on my lips, about to be spoken when she opens the door the rest of the way and makes her way outside, closing the door behind her.

I peak my head out the window slightly and watch her walk back towards her house, forcing her body upright from the force of the wind that is just forming. I keep my gaze on her until she is through the door of her house and I feel that she is safe. Walking back onto the couch, I lay carelessly across it, listening to the sound of the wind that seems to keep getting louder.

Once night falls and 9 o'clock hits, the wind sounds as if a vicious animal is howling out. Leaves are viciously hitting the windows of the house and the wooden rocking-chair on the porch is violently hitting the wall of the house. Even curled up under the tan comforter with a pillow over my face and my palms pressed up against my ears, the horrid sounds still enter my ears. Before the games, the Quarter Quell, and the war, I wouldn't have minded the storm that is going on outside, but after everything I experienced, the noise is nearly scaring me to death. It is not only until after I take my left palm off of my ear to re-adjust the pillow that's over my head is when I hear the telephone ring. The only places that have a telephone is the houses in the Victor Village's around Panem, the underground meeting rooms in District 13, and the Capital.

Quickly reaching my hand out from under the comforter, I scan my hand across the side table to find the telephone. Once my hand glides across it, I grasp it in my hands and pull it under the comforter with me. Clicking the call button, I put it up to my ear and let out a shaky breath, "Hello?"

"Peeta," Katniss' voice sounds a little raspy, as if she has been screaming.

All of my fear is suddenly gone when I hear how scared she is. Sitting upright, my voice fills with concern and urgency, "Katniss what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Katniss lets out a shaky laugh, "I'm fine; kind of. Do...do you mind…coming over-please?"

Before I can answer, a loud howl echoes throughout the house from the wind and I squeeze my eyes shut while I hear Katniss' teeth grit together. "Be right there," I mumble, not realizing that I said anything.

Pulling myself out of the bed, I hustle down the stairs and slip my feet into my shoes while throwing my jacket on at the same time. Taking a deep breath, I open a front door to be hit with a gush of wind and rain. Stepping outside and closing the door firmly shut, I run across my lawn and Haymitch's to Katniss' house. The wind is so strong it nearly knocks me to the ground, but with the determination I have I manage to keep moving.

Before I am up the steps of Katniss' home, the door opens and she waits in the middle of the threshold, a green blanket enfolding around her. She moves aside so I can come in and closes the door. Before I can even say a word, her arms are around my middle, holding herself tight to me. Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around her and try to block out the horrid noises coming from behind the door. My jacket, which is still, drips onto the hardwood floor and makes a small puddle, "I'm getting you wet." I whisper, not wanting to let go of Katniss, though.

"I don't care," She words are muffled by my shirt, though it is still understandable.

After a few minutes, I persuade her to let go for just a moment so I can take off the wet jacket, which the water swept through my shirt because of how long the jacket was on for. Putting the jacket on the coatrack and slipping my shoes off on the matt, Katniss and I silently stand in front of the door, holding each other in our arms. A crackle of thunder and lightning flash through the house and before I know it, Katniss and I are running up the stairs into her bedroom.

When we run in, I slam the door shut, afraid that if it stays open, something bad will happen. Our brains are in the games mode, any noise, any movement, sends a sudden shock through each of us.

"Under the covers," Katniss says. I don't know if she said it more towards herself or me, but obediently, I go over towards the bed with her and we slide our bodies under the sheet and comforter. Her comforter is thicker than mine, keeping the noises more at rest. We are close enough that our arms, which are folding into each other's chests, are brushing against each other.

"Not real, not real, not real," Katniss continuously murmurs to herself.

I find myself looking at her, my expression contorting from wonder to confusion to awe, "What were you just saying?"

Katniss looks at me in confusion, as if she has no clue of what I'm talking about, "What do you mean what was I just saying?"

"You kept saying 'not real'," I say, wondering if she even knew she was speaking.

"I was? Oh." Even under the covers, I can see Katniss' face heat up with embarrassment.

"That, what you said, we used to say that when I asked if something was true or not," I say, awed that she would still use it, "you remembered."

"Of course I remembered!" Katniss says, then her voice becomes shy, "Actually, I –I say it to myself once in a while, when I wake up from a nightmare or when I think about the past for too long. It helps, in a sense."

"I'm just surprised you would use it," I say, turning a little shy myself, "I thought you were trying to cut all ties of everything about me."

Another set of thunder and lightning erupts the house, causing Katniss and I to pause our conversation and hold onto each other's hands as tight as we will let the other. After the set passes, Katniss looks as if she is taken aback from what I said, "Peeta, I know that I have ignored you and everything, but that doesn't mean I wanted to cut all ties. Yes, a couple of months ago I did try to forget everything in the past and try to make a new future, but once reality hit me and I realized that there can't be a new future, I stopped trying to live in a fantasy that will never come true."

Now it's my turn to be taken aback, "Katniss, who says you can't have a new future? All of Panem is changing, it doesn't mean you can't." After a moment I add, "No one is stopping you."

"But people are stopping me—don't you see?" Katniss almost yells, "Things are stopping me. The district, this house, the woods, Sae, Haymitch, my mother, Prim…" she pauses for a moment then whispers, "You."

"Katniss," I reply, "No nothing can stop you," I say with a concerned voice after a moment, "not even me."

Katniss' gaze meets my own when she says, "Especially you."

Before I know it, our lips are against one another's. For a while, none of us make an attempt to move, but after a few minutes go by, we settle on just having an arm around each other. And for the rest of the night we lay in Katniss' bed under the covers, warding each other from the storm that keeps stretching on.

**So did you like it? I know I say this a lot, but sorry if anyone was OCC. Okay so I am going to ATTEMPT to post a new chapter by NEXT Friday. Right now that it my deadline, so I might post in that time span. If I don't, then I will slap myself because that is a big time to post something. If you would like to know what I am doing in that time, follow me on instagram: alexis_margios  
PLEASE REVIEW AND FOLLOW ANNNDD ADD AS A FAVORITE! I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS/ WANT IN THIS/ DISLIKE IN THIS!**


	9. Chapter 9

**HELLO ALL! I know you all probably hate me now, don't worry I do too! I have been extremely busy and then last week I noticed that I haven't posted in a few weeks! I had MCAS on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday so that has distracted me and I have been trying to finish up The Mortal Instruments series, WHICH YOU GUYS SHOULD TOTALLY READ! Anyway, this chapter has both Peeta and Katniss' P.O.V so you can get a feel of everything. Have fun…and don't hate me after this.**

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**-Peeta P.O.V-**

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**One Step Forward, One Step Back**

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A foggy haze rests atop my eyes once the sun shining through the curtains of the window enters the bedroom. After there being no effect to blinking my eyes, I retort to rubbing them a few times to clear my sight. The sound of birds chirping and Katniss' soothing breaths surround the room. _Katniss. Her room._ Last night's events flood back into my brain; from me hiding in my bed to me running over here. I don't know when and how we fell asleep last night, with the screeches of the wind and storm to our frantic breaths.

Katniss lies on her side facing me, her body curling into the mattress from my weight on the other side of the bed. She looks so peaceful, after everything that happened last night. Thinking about it, this is the first time I can actually get a good look at her, as if to really look at her. Her face isn't the same as it was when she was sixteen, let alone that was only about two years ago. Her face looks older in a sense. Not older as in wrinkles but older in mature. She does not look like she is going on eighteen years in a month. Her hair is brighter than usual, due to the fact of all the time she spends outside in the sun. If someone else was to look at her, they wouldn't notice the change of color of her hair, but when you love someone as much as you do, you learn to notice the small changes in them. The color suits her, though; makes her skin darker.

I sway my head to the side where the alarm clock is and note that it is 6:37 a.m. As slowly as I can, I shrink out of the bed and head down the stairs towards the kitchen. Everything is where it used to be from the herbs to pots and pans. After preparing six cheese buns, I stick them into the oven and twist the metal timer until the arrow reaches twenty-five minutes. Grabbing the utensils and pots and pans that I used, I walk over to the sink and quietly plant them in. Turning the rod on the sink until the water turns warm, I scrub down everything I put in there, making sure all the ingredients are off.

Looking back at the timer, it shows me that ten minutes has passed. While putting everything that I used to is designated spot, a shuffling sound comes from upstairs. A moment later, there is pattering on the staircase and Katniss comes from around the corner and into the kitchen. She is wearing a blue dress, the color of the sky, and her hair in her signature braid.

Katniss looks at me with genuine curiosity, "What are you doing?" She sniffs the air once, answering her own question by the smell that surrounds the room and then looks back at me, "You didn't have to." She says almost guilty.

Putting away the last tray I turn around and lean back against the counter, "It's fine, I always bake something in the morning most days; it relaxes me. Besides, I wasn't expecting you to wake up for another twenty minutes."

"What does me waking up at a different time have to do with anything?" Katniss asks then says, "Never mind." She opens her mouth as if to say something, then shuts it and looks down at the floor as if she is fascinated in the designs of the tiles.

"Is everything alright?" I ask, not sure if I should go to her or stay planted where I am. Staying where I am sounds like a good idea right now.

Katniss takes a deep breath and as she lets it out she says, "Thank you. For coming last night, I mean."

"Katniss when I heard your voice last night on the phone, I thought something terribly wrong happened; you sounded so scared. I would have come racing over here no matter what you said. Besides," I say sheepishly, "I was kind of afraid myself."

Katniss laughs a little, "Look at us, we fought so many battles and we get afraid of a storm."

The mention of battles feels like a slap in the face. Battles meant the war. Battles meant the second Quarter Quell. Battles meant the Hunger Games. Battles meant fighting against myself from hijacking. _Katniss caused everything, you idiot! _My mind snaps at me. _No she did not! She did nothing wrong!_ I mentally yell back at myself. I shake my head to get rid of the thoughts, but Katniss must have noticed because she awkwardly takes a step forward and says, "Oh, Peeta I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up…I forgot…I-" She stumbles over her words, trying to find words to make me understand.

I smile at Katniss to reassure her that everything is okay, even though I am using all of my energy to ward the episode away, "It's okay, really; don't worry Katniss."

She looks at me as if she doesn't believe me, which she shouldn't because I don't even believe myself now, "Really, I'm alright." I say again. I hate lying to Katniss, even if it is for her own good. It's a good thing that she is not the best person to read people's expressions, unless she would notice that I am lying.

"So," She says, trying to change the subject, "What are you making?"

"What does it smell like?" I ask, trying to get her to guess.

Katniss sniffs the air a few times then looks back at me, a grin dancing across her face, "Cheese buns," She says then sniffs the air again, "Definitely cheese buns."

"Correct," I laugh a little at her excitement.

"You know, I haven't had not one single cheese bun since the last time you made them," Katniss says, and as if on cue, the timer goes off, echoing through the kitchen.

"Well," I say, reaching my arm towards the timer and shutting it off, "Now you can have as many as you want. Hopefully you don't want more than six, because that's all I made." I laugh a bit.

Katniss joins along on the short laugh. Putting on two mitts, I strode over to the oven and open it, taking out the tray that holds six cheese buns. Placing the tray on top of the stove and kicking the bottom of it shut, I take a plate out from the counter and stack the cheese buns into a neat circular tower. After, I place the plate on the table and put the tray in the sink, about to wash it, "Go ahead, they might be a little hot though." I say, facing the sink.

While washing the tray, I hear Katniss shuffle over towards the table and pull out a chair. After putting the tray back into the cabinet, I turn around and walk to the table, taking a cheese bun in my hand. Katniss is already half way done with her first one when she says, "I missed these."

I laugh at her for having missed cheese buns and say, "Well there is four right in front of you. Wait, scratch that," I say picking up one in my hand that is not already occupied with one, "Make that three, this one is going to Haymitch. I still never really thanked him when he h-" I stop myself before I say _I still never really thanked him for when he helped me from not having a full-out episode,_ "Never mind."

Katniss looks at me as if to ask what I was going to say, then shakes her head, having her braid whip left to right, "Did you all of a sudden forget what Haymitch is like? Not only will he not be up at this hour, or any hour for a while, but if you wake him, he'll kill you."

"Well," I say with a grin forming on my face, "It's not the only time anyone has ever tried to kill me."

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**-Katniss P.O.V-**

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After a few minutes Peeta leaves to go get ready to go to Haymitch's house. He asked me if I wanted to go and I said I would join him considering I haven't talked to Haymitch in a few weeks. He is either always drunk and asleep or sitting on his porch at an hour that I am in the woods. Looking at the clock propped up on the end table, it reads 7:04. Haymitch still most likely won't be up for another few hours, but then again, he might not even wake up at all today; Peeta will probably be ready by now, too. Getting up, I pick up my keys from the hook on a mirror next to the door and walk out of the house, locking the door and putting the keys under the mat.

The porch is a darker shade of wood due from the storm last night, having the rain made the wood soggy. There are plants laying here and there from being torn up and out of the ground from last night's winds. The sky is a nice tiffany blue with puffs of white clouds roaming around, as if there wasn't even a storm seven hours ago. Before my feet touch the grass I can already tell that it is muddy and will sink under any pressure, so I walk along the stoned path from my house to Haymitch's. Once I walk up the steps of Haymitch's porch, I can hear Haymitch grunt, which can only mean that Peeta has just woke him up.

Opening the door, I notice that Haymitch must have been asleep and or unconscious sitting on one of the kitchen chairs because now the chair is kicked back and on the ground while Haymitch crouches above the table, swinging his knife around at the air.

Once I walk up next to Peeta he says, "As you can see, he was asleep." He turns back towards Haymitch once he seems to calm down and pulls his chair back up, sitting back into it after, "You're drunk."

"And you're a male," Haymitch grunts.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Peeta's face looks questionable.

"What? I thought we were just stating the obvious. I'm always going to be drunk and you're always going to be a male. Unless…" Haymitch begins when Katniss cuts him off, "You forgot the fact that you will always be utterly drowning in your own pool of vomit and watching your life slowly die before your eyes."

Haymitch looks at Katniss as if she has just popped up out of nowhere, "Ah, but that is where you are wrong sweetheart. You see, I wouldn't be watching my life die, because I would be unconscious for most of it."

"Sorry for my misunderstanding, I'll make sure I fix that," Katniss scowls, her eyes squinted.

"Is there a reason why you woke me up, my sweet boy?" Haymitch asks Peeta, putting all of his focus that he can manage back on him.

Peeta holds out the cheese bun that is now on a baby blue-tinted plate, "Here"

Haymitch deadpans and looks at the plate, "You," he says slowly, "Woke me up…to give me bread."

"Indeed I did," Peeta says, "Plus I wanted to thank you, so, thank you."

Haymitch looks at Peeta and his face softens a bit, "Anytime, kid." Haymitch takes the plate and places it in front of him, picking the cheese bun up and ripping half of it into his mouth.

Haymitch looks from me to Peeta and grins, "I see you two are all buddy buddy again." A messy grin plays across his face, "Or something more, perhaps. I saw you," he flicks his head towards Peeta once, "running across my yard to her house at such speed I thought you were having an episode or something."

Peeta's face flushes a tint of pink, "It was cold, and wet, and windy. The less time outside the better."

Haymitch squeezes his face together, "You and your little excuses."

"I asked him to come over," I snap so Haymitch would stop embarrassing Peeta, "I called him. I mean, it's not really our faults that we are terrified of a _storm_. And we _aren't_ anything more!"

"I suppose not," Haymitch says through chewing the rest of the cheese bun.

"Suppose not," Peeta echo's Haymitch. Unless I am imagining things, Peeta might even look a little…sad.

"I'm going to go to the Hob," he says, "See if I finally got a letter back from Delly."

Peeta told me two weeks ago that he had sent a letter to Delly a little before that and nothing came in through the import bin last time everything got imported from various Districts. This week is supposed to be a big load though, o Peeta is going to get there before the crowd starts to move in. He won't tell me what the letter is about, but I'm not upset about it though. We do talk more now, but to me, I don't think we are on a friend level that involves trust in others and secrets yet. Maybe we never will be.

Before anyone can say anything else, he walks out and shuts the door quietly behind him. "Do you see what you do?" Haymitch almost yells.

"What did I do now besides cause a civil war?"

"You broke his heart! All though I can't say that was the first time."

"Is there something you would like to say? Because to me it sounds like you think I don't care for him! I mean…maybe I don't care for him the way he cares for me but…I care for him. It's just going to take some time getting used to, that's all." This subject always makes me uncomfortable. Anything involving caring for another person besides my family always made me feel as if I don't know what to say or feel. Mostly when the person asking me everything is Haymitch.

"You two always cared for each other differently. Sometimes I even thought you never even cared for him at all." Haymitch sighs, "But when I saw your face when Peeta was on with Ceasar Flickerman when we were in District 13, I knew that you cared for him the same way he cared for you, even if you didn't know it."

"Haymitch, I…" I try to find the right words to tell Haymitch that I don't know what he is talking about, that I would never feel anything like that for anybody, but the words don't come, "I got to go." Is what finally comes out of my mouth and before Ii can do anything else, my feet carry me out of the house, out of Victor's Village, and towards the Hob. My mind feels as if it has two voices inside it at this moment; one telling me to turn around and get properly dressed to go into the woods and the other is telling me to keep heading forward in search of Peeta. The second thought wins.

After a few more minutes of walking, I find Peeta just walking into the Hob. Picking up my pace, I end up at his side, "Are you okay?"

Peeta looks down at me as if he expected me to follow him at some point, "I'm fine. How are you?"

I ignore his question and add, "Are you sure? You just left all of a sudden."

"Well if I remember correctly, I did say where I was going, so it wasn't just 'all of the sudden'."

"Well sorry that I didn't 'remember correctly'," I snap.

"Are you going to come with me to the bin? Who knows, maybe there is something there for you."

"Don't worry, nothing is ever there for me. If you haven't noticed, some people are afraid of me."

"You are scary, scary Katniss," Peeta chuckles.

"Boo," I mumble, walking side by side with Peeta into the Hob.

* * *

**-Peeta P.O.V-**

* * *

After Katniss and I searched the bin for a letter from Delly or Randy for ten minutes, we decide to give up. Sitting on a bench I sigh, "I don't get it, I sent a letter to Delly more than three weeks ago, she would have gotten it by now."

"Well…maybe it didn't get sent out; maybe the Capital forgot to send it," Katniss gives yet another option about what might of happened. I didn't think she had any more options after I said no to her other four.

"They wouldn't have forgotten, if it had my name on it, it would have been one of the first exported out. Besides, since when did the Capital mess up on anything to do with mail?"

"Then maybe it's taking Delly's letter longer to get in because she doesn't have as much as a powerful name as you," Katniss points out.

"No," I say yet again, "Dr. Aurelius would have made sure it got out, he knows how important she is to me."

"Maybe you should try calling Dr. Aurelius and see what is going on. Maybe he can get Delly and let her talk to you," Katniss asks.

The only telephones in District 13 are to be used for people who work in big parts of the District, such as doctors, commanders, and so on. "What's today?"

Katniss gives me a puzzled look, "Thursday why?"

"Today is my first official call appointment with Dr. Aurelius today at 5:00. I was supposed to have one with him when I first got into 12 and a few times after that, too, but he has been busy with something and I said that I was fine so we postponed it to today."

"Do you know what he was busy with? It must have been important that he had to cancel so many appointments with one of his biggest patients." Katniss asks.

I sigh, "No I do not, but I'll find out once I talk to him tonight,"

Katniss and I relax a bit in the bench and both let out an exasperated sigh, both eager for 5:00.

* * *

5:00 slowly strolls by. Katniss and I have finished up every last touches of my house, even though it was a beautiful day out. Putting the metal soup spoon down next to the pot of bowling beef stew on the stove, I pick up the telephone and dial Dr. Aurelius' number. Katniss sits on a chair, cutting vegetables and putting them in a bowl, awaiting to put them in the pot when all it cut. After the third ring, the other line is picked up, "Hello, District 13 mental institution section, how may I help you this evening?" A woman answers. Dr. Aurelius must have all of his calls transferred to the mental institution section for whatever reason it is.

"Hello, this is Peeta Mellark, I'm calling for my call appointment for Dr. Aurelius; is he in?"

The woman's voice brightens when she hears who it is, "Well yes hello to you, too, Mr. Mellark! Dr. Aurelius is in a quick meeting in his office right now, it ran a little late, but it should very well be over in a few minutes. Would you mind if I put you on hold? Just for the time being."

"That's fine, thank you," I reply.

"You have a good day, Mr. Mellark," The woman sounds as if she has a smile plastered across her face.

"You too, goodbye," I add.

"Goodbye!" The woman chirps, then replaced by the new Capital anthem.

"Well," Katniss says, carefully studying the red pepper in her hand before cutting it, "That was fast."

"I'm on hold," I sigh, "Dr. Aurelius transferred all his calls to the mental institution section while he has been in a meeting. According to the secretary, the meeting has been going on over time. She said it will most likely be over in a few minutes, but who knows, she was probably trying to get me happy after I used my name; it sure sounded like it."

"Welcome to the life of Victors, my dear friend," Katniss snickers and I can't help but let out a small chuckle myself.

Sliding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I grab the spoon again and start mixing the ingredients already in the pot while dumping herbs in the pot with my other hand. "How is the cutting going? The vegetables are going to need to go in soon."

Katniss speaks between cutting whatever's left, "Just," cut, "about," cut, "done. There, all finished."

"Fantastic, could you just hand the bowl to me and I can-" I start, only to be interrupted by the Capital's anthem stopping and Dr. Aurelius' voice taking place, "Hello, this is Dr. Aurelius, who may I been having the pleasure to speak to this evening?"

I place down the spoon and put it back where it was laying a few moments ago, "Hi, it's Peeta, I'm calling for our call appointment we planned for today." I motion for Katniss to dump the vegetables a few at a time into the pot and mix it around a little with the spoon before adding more. While she does that, I noticed that Dr. Aurelius has gone silent for a moment.

"Oh, yes," Dr. Aurelius finally speaks, "It must have slipped my mind. I am terribly sorry that I had to push this back so far, considering your circumstances. A few events went on here and I have been a very busy man; I hope you understand." He hesitates for a moment, as if deciding what to say, "How have you been, Peeta."

"Considering everything, it has been better than I thought it would turn out. Only three small episodes, but I stopped them before they could get bad, so it isn't anything to worry about."

"Ah," Dr. Aurelius sounds pleased, "Very good, indeed- I am proud to hear that. Would you mind if we had an appointment like this every Monday and Thursday at the same time every week? I know it feels like it is so close together and for every week, but we still need to see how you are handling everything. I am sure that you have not seen everything yet that can trigger a flashback."

"That's true, I have not, yet," I reply, trying not to think about it much.

"Just as I suspected," Dr. Aurelius seems as if his mind is on something else right now, "Peeta, I am terribly sorry but I need to cut this appointment short, an event just occurred that needs my presence. Is there any questions regarding anything before I go?"

"Actually, there is one thing," I say, "Do you know if Delly got my letter? I sent it a little over three weeks ago and I never heard of anything back. Do you think the letter could have gotten misplaced?"

Dr. Aurelius pauses then sighs, "Peeta," He takes another pause, "Peeta the reason I had to reschedule so far back is because of Delly and Randy. Some situations occurred between the two of them; they are both currently in the hospital treating some wounds. Randy will be put into the mental institution section for the time being after he is healed, and I will send Delly out to your District after she has healed herself. Now I must go, but I will send you a letter, giving you more information. Goodbye."

**CLIFFHANGER! Please don't hate me on it, I just felt like I should toy with your feels, just a bit. Now the only thing about the cliffhanger, is that I suck posting within a two-week radius, so you all will have suffer if I don't post within that time. What do you think happened to Delly and Randy? Who do you think did it? Why is Randy going to the mental institution section? What do you think is going to happen between Peeta and Katniss? How do you think the beef stew is going to taste ;)? I'll stop with the questions. CAN YOU ALL PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW YOU LIKED IT AND OR WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE! AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FOLLOW UNFOLDING SCARE AND LOVEEVERLARK c: LOVE YOU SUGARCUBES!**


	10. Chapter 10

**HI EVERYONE! GUESS WHAT? I HAVE MY MICROSOFT BACK! AND, HERE IS CHAPTER 10! I see some of you might have noticed that it said I updated 'Unfolding Scars' already today, but here is what happened. I noticed that chapter 3 and 4 were the same and realized that I didn't post what was supposed to be chapter 4. So if I were you guys, I would go read chapter 4, because it is kind of important about Peeta. So to get chapter 4 in the right place, I had to delete chapters 5-9 then post them back after but then I lost my views I had for those chapters. So from being 8 viewers away from 1,600, I am now back down to 1,420. Help change that please? ;)  
Anyway, in hope for you all forgiving me, I gave you the longest chapter yet! Enjoy sugarcubes ;)**

* * *

***Note: At some point, go read chapter 4***

* * *

**-Peeta P.O.V-**

* * *

**Minutes' Notice**

* * *

Before I could object, there is a clicking noise that goes off once, indicating that Dr. Aurelius hung up. My body slugs against the curve of the counter, the dead sound of the telephone still ringing against my ear. Katniss comes into view, her mouth moving but I can't hear any words come out. By her body structure and face expression she asked me a question, but my body is paralyzed, not moving a muscle nor letting anything such as a croak come out through my lips.

He face suddenly contorts into a whirlpool of concern and anger. She then comes up to me and tares the telephone out of my grasp and viciously presses buttons. Without her saying anything, I know she is calling back Dr. Aurelius to yell at him.

Breaking out of my stance, I plush the telephone out of her grasp and press down on the 'end' button. Katniss is about to snap at me but freezes when she sees my face. She steps toward me with her hands outstretched, then hesitates, as if weighing her options. After a second's hesitation, she gently enfolds her hands around each of my wrists and holds them between us, "Peeta, what happened?"

"Delly and Randy…" I whisper, trying to find my voice, "They're wounded…hurt…in the hospital. Randy…is going to go to the mental…institution section…poor boy is probably traumatized. Delly is…Delly is going to come back here…to 12."

"What? How did they get injured? Are they going to be okay?" Concern rises in Katniss' voice, which only makes mine tremble more.

"I- I don't know! I- I'm still trying to p- process everything myself. Dr. Aurelius said t- that he would s- send a letter with more information shortly."

Katniss' eyes look solemn, "Peeta, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be asking you questions. But you need to calm down before you have an episode, okay?"

Knowing she is right, I take a deep breath and exhale slowly, "You're right. You are absolutely right. I just," I take another deep breath, "need to calm down."

Letting out my breath, I look down at Katniss' hands gently wrapped around my wrists. She hasn't attempted to touch me in any sort of comforting way. As if she knows what I am thinking about, she let's go of my wrists and walks over to the pot on the oven, "Did I do this okay?"

I walk over to the pot and try to focus on the new task, "Katniss you put vegetables in a pot and mixed it together, it's perfect."

"Great, call me chef," Katniss mumbles.

"Alright, Chef Everdeen," I chuckle while doing a solute.

"I was joking," Katniss laughs then playfully punches my shoulder.

I take advantage of her good mood and continue, "Hey, no violence in my kitchen! I'm going to have to escort you out now.

I pick Katniss up by the waist and start to walk towards the living room to dispatch her onto the couch when she starts to wiggle in my grasp and knocks me against the counter with her back against my chest. We both laugh so has that my body slides down against the counter, Katniss back still against my chest. While we laugh, our eyes meet and then we both stop laughing.

Before I could stop myself, I plant a kiss on Katniss; lips. She freezes for a moment then slowly sinks into me. Just as that happens though, the broth in the pot starts to boil. If I had it my way, I would have ignored the food completely and let it boil over, but Katniss jumps up, as if just realizing what she has done, and runs over to the stove to tries to shut off the fire but only turns it higher.

"I- I'm sorry," Katniss stampers, slowly walking towards the front door, "I didn't mean to. I just…can't." She sighs hen escapes through my front door.

At that moment I realized that there is no feeling worse than sitting on the suddenly freezing kitchen floor with splatters of beef stew flying askew and the empty feeling of the woman I love shrink away from my life.

* * *

**-Katniss P.O.V-**

* * *

What just happened? What just happened! Why did I just do that? Why did I open up to him, even if it was just a little? I'm so stupid! But why did I stop, though? Come on Katniss, you can't say you didn't like it at least a little; it was fun, having my guard down and not trying to hold it up all the time. But what was it? It was his eyes! That's what it was, his eyes. When the pot started going off and I saw his eyes, how they got rounder and shades darker, as if he was hungry for me. Something I am not willing to give.

"Who would have thought that intimacy could run the magnificent Mockingjay mad? If only President Snow had known that; would have saved him time, money, and you know, his life. Don't forget man power." Haymitch's sneer interrupts my thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" I grit my teeth together, secretly hoping Haymitch is too drunk and or lazy to pay attention and catch my terrible lying.

"You didn't realize you were complaining aloud did you? Ha," Haymitch snorts, "And you thought I was the one in a mental state."

What? I didn't even realize I was speaking aloud, "I messed up, didn't I?"

Haymitch strides over to the couch, of my living room, next to me and lowers himself down into the cushion. I expected him to say something along the lines of being around Peeta was a terrible decision or how being in Peeta's life is bad for our health but what he says catches me off guard.

"It seems as if you're always breaking the boys heart now; it looks like a new hobby for you."

"What did you just say?"

"Don't play stupid, it's not attractive,"

"Haymitch!" I snap, restraining myself from throwing the table-side lamp against his temple.

"All I'm saying is…" Haymitch pauses and freezes his face, as if in though, then says, "You would still listen to your dear old mentor for advice, right?" I nod.

"Well then here's some advice: That boy two doors down saved you a numerous amounted of times, now it's your turn to be selfless and save him."

"Save Peeta from what?" I question, putting enfaces on Peeta's name.

"From himself," Haymitch state plainly.

With a grunt, he gets up from the couch and truds to the front door. He opens it then pauses when he is between the threshold, "And one more piece of advice for you: listen to your heart and not your brain."

"What's wrong with my brain?" I ask wearily.

"It's been hit with too many cannons," and with that, he leaves, closing the door behind him.

What does that mean? Before I have any time to try to figure it out, the doorbell rings.

Walking to the door, I yell, "Haymitch if you came back here to tell me more of your 'life saving advice', I would leave if I were you before I stick a freshly pointed arrow up your-" I pause once I swing back the door to find Thom standing in the doorway, pouch of arrows over his shoulder and plastic bowl in his hands.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why hello to you too, Ms. Everdeen. It is a pleasure to see you." Thom attempts to speak with a District 5 accent, though I don't know where he got the choice of words from.

"Sorry, I'm still a little boiled from Haymitch," I apologize weakly, distracted by a heated and spiced smell.

"Well then you should be glad I stopped by. I was heading to the woods, Sae needs some game; you could let off some steam and help."

Thinking about it, I haven't been in the woods since Peeta had come back. Sae has helped me more than enough and I haven't done anything for her in return. _This is why Peeta had every citizen of Panem wrapped around his finger, _I think to myself, _he automatically does good for others, while I, however, am selfish. _It feels as if I am always in debt for others, someone helping me, and me giving a small nod and thank you, trying to leave as quickly as possible. Now-a-days a squirrel or rabbits feet isn't good enough for a trade, considering the new deals that Panem has to offer. On top of that, anyone is allowed in the woods now; 'The Nature Preserve Law' as Plutarch calls it.

"That would be more productive than smashing a table-side lamp against his head. I'll just go put on my boots." I say, moving out of the doorway so Thom can come inside.

He walks in and strides over to the kitchen, taking a seat and plucking a Capitol apple from the twig woven bowl, "What do you want me to do with this?" He thrusts the plastic bowl into the air, whatever's inside is making a swishing noise.

Once I grab my hiking boots that were once my fathers, I sit on the armchair of the couch, lifting my left foot and placing it in the boot. The backs of both boots have rolled up socks stuck against them so the boots won't be as big. Effie tried to talk me into buying Capitol Couture boots, but I objected right away. Her type of Capitol Couture boots are shoe's Capital citizens would call wedges; which are in no shape for the woods. "What's in it?" The smell that came across my nose comes back, making me sniff the air, "It smells good."

"Don't know," Thom places the bowl onto the table while taking a chunk of apple into his mouth, "It was on your doorstep. I thought about taking it and eating it for myself, but I'm what people call 'a gentlemen.'"

Laughing at the thought of him attempting to be a gentlemen, I suggest, "Well here's a ravishing idea. How about you open the lid from the bowl and check what's in it?" I slip on the other shoe and tie them in triple-knots so they stay on better. The sole of the left boot still has a soggy sense to it from when I stood in a puddle around a year ago, while the sole on the right boot is ripped to the point where I have debated of just taking it off and putting animal skin on it instead.

Thom places the apple between his teeth, which causes juice to drip from his mouth, so he can open the tightly placed lid. Once the lid is off, an aroma of spices, vegetables, and fresh meat floats through the room. Thom places the lid on the table and peeks into the bowl, "Looks like some type of stew." He swirls the bowl a little, "Beef stew."

Before I could even say who it was, Thom asks, "Why would Peeta just leave beef stew on your doorstep? Why not just knock on the door and hand it to you?"

"Who says it was Peeta who placed it there?" I blurt out before I could stop myself. There is no point in hiding anything from Thom; it feels as if he took place for Gale. Only partly. I could never open up to anyone like I had to Gale.

"Well it wasn't Sae because she doesn't have enough meat for this much stew, and I'm pretty sure Haymitch doesn't have a crush on you, so…" Thom trails off.

"Fine, say if it was from Peeta, but what does it matter?" I realize that I am holding up a shield when there is no point in it.

"Someone's on their period, I see," Thom mumbles, turning his face towards the corner wall.

Before I could object, Thom stands up, stretching his legs, "We should get going before sundown. Most of the animals have been out around this time-a-day for the past couple of months."

"Let's go, then," I grab my hunting jacket from the coat hanger and open the door again, leaving before Thom can follow.

I hear the refrigerator open then shut, I guess that he put the beef stew in it so it won't spoil. Even though I don't wait and stop, I hear his footsteps coming closer, jogging to catch up to me. Once he reaches me, he slows his pace, his feet falling in step with mine.

"Does Sae have anything in particular?" I ask, trying to figure out in my head what animals I should keep my eye out for.

"Just her usual: squirrels and rabbits, a deer if we can get our hands on one. I think she wanted to try something new, but she needs a bit of deer in it."

"It's a week until summer, if there's deer, odds are they will be where water flows," I point out. Thom does not know about the lake, nor does anyone else in District 12; only my father and Gale. The lake is far into the woods, so Thom usually stays around close enough to the fence that if someone ever needs him, he can come back just as quickly.

Once we get to the fence, Thom opens the gate and moves to the left, letting me walk in first. He then follows, closing the gate behind him. "Let's head towards the north-west trail then, maybe we can have some luck at the stream."

We walk silently towards an oak tree where I have stashed my bow and arrow, picking it up and throwing it over my shoulder gratefully. The weight of the pouch of arrows feels weightless to me from over the years of carrying it.

"So what's going on with you and The Muffin Man?" Thom asks curiously, his eyes roaming the forest floor.

"Nothing," I snap, then ask, "The Muffin Man?"

"Yeah, you know, he's a baker, odds are he makes muffins, too. And from how quickly your twig broke when I asked that question, it sounds like a little something something is going on."

"I have no problem shooting an arrow through your foot," I warn, "Besides," I sigh, "Nothing is going on. He is just doing a better job at being himself after everything he went through and I'm still the selfish girl from the Hunger Games."

"You are the last person I would think is selfish. Would a selfish person attempt to eat Nightlock to save someone's life? Would a selfish person save everyone around Panem? Would a selfish person risk her life for children to end the Hunger Games? No. So shut up and realize that you are not selfish." Thom says honestly.

Seeing a rabbit out of the corner of my eye, I slowly extend my arm behind me and take an arrow out of the pouch, placing it into the bow and pulling the string back. I take a deep breath and close one of my eyes, aiming to shoot its frost-blue eye.

"Everything the Capitol said about you and Peeta was and still is not true, is it?" He asks all of a sudden, causing me to lose focus and let go of the string. The arrow flies and lands pointed up in front of the rabbit, causing it to scurry into a nearby burrow.

"Damn you Thom!" I yell, jogging over to pick up the arrow.

Turning back to him I sigh, "No none of it was true. We weren't star cross lovers. We weren't engaged or planning to get married. We weren't having a baby. None of it was true!" I look down at my boots, using one shoe to flick dirt off the other.

"But you wanted some of it to be true,"

"Are we going to hunt or what?" I snap once again, turning on my heel and walking towards the north-west stream.

We don't talk for the rest of the way, though it doesn't count as an awkward silence. On the way, we kill a family of squirrels and a rabbit. We slow our walking once the stream is in sight, quieting our footsteps. Three deer's are drinking from the stream, their backs towards us. Thom and I don't look at each other to try to see which deer each of us are getting, knowing that at any moment one of the deer's could sense us and run away. We both lift our bow and arrows and shoot, both of our arrows going into the same deer.

"Shit," Thom grunts when the two other deer's start to run away. I know they will be heading to the lake where it is safe, which is just what I did not want them to do. Thom starts to run after the deer at full speed. I don't want him finding the lake because if he does, he will be there all the time hunting the animals, also he would tell everyone else at District 12 that it is there. Before I could stop myself I shout, "Thom no!"

Thom cranes his neck, slowing his speed, "What do you mean 'no'? Two perfectly good deer are running in that direction and we should be following them!"

Trying to think of an excuse, I whimper, "Please I…I can't go farther into the woods. Since I brought up the Games, the woods is terrifying me right now. Please, can we just grab the deer we have and go back to the fence?"

"Head back to the fence, I'll meet you back there in 20," Thom says, starting to run again, but freezes when I make my voice sound vulnerable.

"Thom please…I- I don't want to be alone," The last part is true, I realize after I say it. I don't want to be alone.

If it was anyone else, Thom would have just left, but it's me and he somehow has a hard time saying no to me. He looks back at where the deer's had run off too, then walks back to me, "Alright, lets grab the deer and head off to Greasy Sae's."

With a sigh of relief, we walk back over to the deer and take hold of it. With me holding the front end and Thom holding the back, we make a good pace back towards the fence. Once we get back to the fence, I let go of the neck of the deer with one hand to open the gate and then close it once Thom and I are through.

We walk silently towards the Hob, hoping not many people will be out and in our way when we try to bring the deer into Greasy Sae's. When we pass by Victors Village, I note that all of Peeta's lights are off; he must have went to the Hob, too. My brain tells me that I shouldn't go to the Hob anymore incase we see each other, but my heart is telling me that I should go and purposely try to find him. I shake the thought out of my head, reminding me of Haymitch's advice.

When Victors Village comes to view, Thom and I notice that many people are out and about. "Well that's great, how are we supposed to get through easily with a deer, game, and sharp weapons without either scaring people or hitting them?" Thom complains.

"They'll move for us, most of them at least," I say, trying to keep my eyes from looking for Peeta.

"Come on," Thom commands.

We both walk into the Hob, maneuvering the deer around so it won't touch other District 12 citizens. There is around two to four Peacekeepers in District 12, who station themselves at different sections around the Hob. The point for having Peacekeepers is just to make sure that everything is being built correctly and to keep an eye on a few people who yet to recover mentally. One of them, Nmet I think, stands at the beginning of the Hob, where the bakery used to stand. She looks at us with curious eyes, then goes back to looking at the other citizens. Almost everyone moves out-of-the-way for us, only a few kids standing in place, some looking at the deer in awe and some looking at it with frightened expressions. Right before we walk into Greasy Sae's a golden dot catches my eye. I know that golden hair from anywhere.

Sae's building is not as packed as outside, though it's more people for our liking. We walk through the tables and behind the counter, placing the deer on the kitchen counter. Sae walks out from behind the corner and smiles once she sees us, "Thom you brought Katniss; how are you doing, Katniss?"

"I'm better," I look down, trying to get all the attention off of me. As if Thom knows what I'm thinking, he coughs and tilts his head towards the deer.

"Well look at that, you got a deer! I didn't think you would be able to catch one, what with this weather." Sae smiles.

Thom and I put the deer down on the kitchen counter and Thom takes off his pouch on his back that holds his arrows; we put the rest of the game in there since I forgot my game bag at home.

"You two are wonderful, thank you. I was almost out on all my game, but this should hold up this old building for some time." Sae thanks.

"No problem, Sae. Anytime you need me, just yell for me and I'll be here," Thom tells Sae.

"Me too, it's the least I could do. You helped me when you didn't need to." I add, feeling guilty.

"Thank you, I will keep that in mind," Sae tells both of us. She then yells for Ryun to fetch up the deer and take it into the back to be skinned and chopped.

Thom and I say goodbye to Sae and walks back towards the crowds of people in the Hob.

* * *

After Thom and I went separate ways from the Hob, I went home. The beef stew that Peeta dropped off is gone, eaten in the matter of two hours. After taking a shower and putting my hair in a lazy braid, I tuck myself tightly in my bed, even though the heat is making it barely bearable. Sleep quickly starts to catch at the corners of my eyes and before I know it, I'm fast sleep.

_The __Cornucopia burns the soles of my feet. Looking down, I notice I am barefoot, wearing the clothes I wore in the 74__th__ annual Hunger Games. Every tribute that was in the Games stand on the forest floor below me in a line, Peeta, Rue, Cato, and Thresh in the center of the line. I look at Peeta in confusion, about to ask him what's going on when my head suddenly snaps all the way to the left where Glimmer stands. She goes rigid, then her body falls dead to the ground. She's dead. A cannon goes off. Then next in line, Clove, mimics the same motions. Cannon. The same thing happens to Marvel, Foxface, District 3 tribute, District 4 tribute, all down the left of the line and all down the right. Cannon…Cannon…Cannon…Cannon._

_All that stands left is Peeta who was dead center. I reach out for him, but my feet feel as if they are molded into the Cornucopia, not being able to move. I scream out for him but it's too late. His body goes rigid, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. His leg buckles while his prostatic leg breaks in half. He falls sideways, having a series of spasms on the floor before blood pours out of his mouth and he goes still. Cannon…_

_I'm then suddenly on the beach of the Quarter Quell, stands in the sand while everyone from these Games stand in a line in the ocean. Peeta, Finnick, and Mags in the center of the line. The first of the line, Brutus, stands frozen, then is taken down into the water. Cannon. I don't know if they are drowning or if something under the water is killing them, but I hope I don't find out. The same goes on for everyone else Cashmere, Seeder, Enobaria, Cecelia, everyone. Cannon…cannon…cannon…cannon._

_Finnick and Mags are the next to go, which feels as if they ripped a piece of my heart with them. Two cannons. And once again Peeta is left standing, staring at me as if he is not about to die. And then he's down.  
…Cannon._

_I'm then alone on the beach, all their bodies coming to the top of the water and floating. My brain is telling me to go out there and try to save every one of them, to go out there and drown myself, but though my heart aches, it's telling me that it was the easiest way for them to go. My heart has the right idea, but my brain has the idea that makes me selfish by killing myself and gives me anxiety. _

With a jolt, my eyes flash open and I am once again on my bed. I then realized what Haymitch's advice meant, and how useful it is.

I crane my head to the right, the clock says 5:42. Jumping out of the bed, I take two steps towards the dresser and pull out a blue button up dress and an undergarment. After I brush my hair and put it in its usual braid, I throw shoes on and practically run out of the house, across the lawn, to Peeta's front door. I knock on the door three times, not realizing until after the fact that he might be fast asleep. Though sometimes I am wrong, for he answers the door not a moment later, standing in the middle of the threshold. His eyes lighten up at first when he sees me, then as if memory ran back into his brain, his eyes sulk. I note that he has flour here and there across his rosy cheeks, hair, and clothes, and the house smells of numerous kinds of bread. He must have been up a while.

"Katniss…" Is all Peeta gets out before I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. He stumbles back, surprised, and wraps his arms around me, moving back into his house and kicking the door shut behind him.

When we stop kissing to catch our breaths, I apologize, "Peeta…I'm so sorry. I keep hurting you and hurting you, and I don't even realize that I do it."

"Katniss it's okay, you're here now and that's all that matters," A small smile spreads across Peeta's face and we kiss again, but it only lasts a minute when the door suddenly opens and Delly walks though, luggage in hand. She beams and looks as if she is about to greet Peeta until she sees both of us, then her jaw drops.

* * *

**So, what did you think? Can you forgive me? Pretty please? I really hope you all enjoyed our chapter 10! Could you all help me out and tell me if this is all going to slow? To fast? Just the right pace? And what do you want to happen next, because I have a few things but then again I have no clue. Please follow Unfolding Scars and Review please, I would really appreciate it!  
See you all soon Sugarcubes **


	11. Chapter 11

**WELL HELLO HELLO MY LITTLE MOCKINGJAYS! You don't know how disappointed I am in myself for not posting in over a month. The internet makes me procrastinate whenever I go onto my laptop. The only reason I finished this chapter today is because I disconnected my internet xD. Anyway, the other reason I haven't posted in a while is because I have been reading City of Lost Souls and I just started summer so I have been finishing some things up. MY LAST REASON IS, I am currently admining five pages on facebook, and it has been a lot of work. Just a heads up, I'm sorry if you find this chapter boring, it is kind of just setting things up. But anyway, enjoy c:**

* * *

**-Peeta P.O.V-**

* * *

**Bonds Forming**

* * *

With Delly's jaw hanging open, I can't figure out if it is out of shock, anger, or both. Katniss reluctantly let's go, though she stays close enough so that I can feel heat radiating off her. Delly drops her suitcase just as I close the small space between us, enfolding her in my arms. "Are you okay?"

_TO: Peeta Mellark  
FROM: Dr. Aurelius _

Peeta, as I said, I would send you a letter of the situation. First off, Delly will be arriving in District 12 tomorrow, so I do hope that you get this letter before she gets to your home, as I'm predicting she will go to. Delly is in an unpredictable state at the moment, one moment being completely calm then the next in rage and or breakdown. The situation is as followed: Nurse Aline, Delly's close friend, came to Delly and Randy's home to find them delusional on the floor, knives scattered across the floor in odd angles. Aline says that Delly and her brother were repeating themselves, saying "And till death of thou Victor's, the new world is incomplete" or "Destruction and madness revolves around the selfish, the lives of the wasted, shall be revenged" and other gruesome chants. When we brought them to the hospital to treat their cuts, which seemed to be forcefully but intentionally, done by themselves with knives, we tested their blood and noticed they were indeed drugged. This is a drug that we, nor the Capitol, has ever come to seen before. The drug seems to make the user delusional, though we yet to figure out why they were chanting about the deaths of Victor's and revenge. If you are now wondering of your, Katniss', and Haymitch's health, I assure you, Delly has sworn to not lay a figure on each of you, nor a citizen in the District. She remembered everything that happened, though we don't know how it is possible, but she has known to never hurt her friend and the ones he loves. Randy is yet to improve, unfortunately. He had been given the same dosage as Delly, giving him longer lasting effects due to his smaller structure, weight, and age. He has been more traumatized by this event, to the point of attempted suicide. He is in well hands, though for the wellbeing. Make sure Delly takes her medications, three pills, twice a day until you visually see improvement. No matter what she says, it is up to you to know when she is mentally stable. She will ask for information about Randy's condition; that I am sure of. Tell her the same every time, "He has been improving little by little every day, he is doing well." Peeta, keep in mind, this is only an experiment, to see if she reacts better with familiar people and surroundings; I am trusting you. I believe in you, you have come a long way. Send a letter back in a week, or if something happens. Good luck.

_To keep in mind: Haymitch knows of the situation and has been told to keep an eye on Delly in the event she tries to harm either you or Katniss. Show Katniss this letter, she needs to know._

The letter that Dr. Aurelius sent to me yesterday is memorized in my brain, having been reading it so many times. Delly has yet to know about the letter being sent, nor will she be told. Dr. Aurelius wants Delly to tell me and whomever else it may concern on her own. The only thing she knows I know is that she was coming back to 12 for a vacation; in which vacation means experiment.

"Uhh uh I'm great, silly! W-Why would something ever be wrong?" Delly lies, taking quick looks at Katniss.

I then understand that Delly doesn't want Katniss to hear what has happened, though I can't understand why. I let go of Delly for a moment and turn to look at Katniss, trying to put my hands in my front pockets as casually as I can to take out the letter and hand it to her.

"Do you mind if I talked to Delly alone, just for a moment?" I ask, slowly slipping the letter from out of my pant pocket.

Katniss gives me a confused look at first but then notices the letter and takes it as discreetly as possible, "Whatever you need. I'll just…go check on Haymitch and make sure he isn't sleeping in a pool of alcohol." She looks at me once then walks to the front door, giving Delly a polite hello and a squeeze on the shoulder before she leaves, closing the door behind her.

Right as I take my eyes off of the door and back towards Delly, I notice that she is attempting to hold back tears. When I embrace her in my arms again, her whole body shakes, tears staining my shirt.

"Shh it's okay, Delly," I sooth her, rubbing between her shoulder blades.

"N-no it's not! Peeta, y-you don't know how t-terrible it is!" Delly sobs. She takes a shaking breath, making her grasp on me tighter.

Slowly, I usher Delly into my living room and onto the couch. I make sure she is sitting comfortably then let go of her, turning to walk into the kitchen to make her hot chocolate.

Right as I let go and turn on my heel, Delly's hand latches onto my wrist, holding it so tight that I stumble back with a sharp pain shooting through my wrist to shoulder. A flicker of darkness covers my eyes; an image of Katniss cutting my brothers and fathers' wrists, draining them of their blood, rushes through my brain. I force the fog away from my sight and look down at Delly's hand straining my wrist. She seems to notice and instantly loosens it, but not enough for the images to fully fade.

"Don't worry," I soothe, "I'm just going to go make you hot chocolate. I'll be right back." She looks at me a moment, fear burning in her eyes, then slowly let's go of my wrist.

I give her a reassuring smile, then walk into the kitchen to make hot chocolate. After it is prepared, I add a few Capital additions to it; marshmallows, whip cream, sprinkles, and an old District 12 touch, peppermint leafs.

Putting a napkin under the mug, I walk back into the living room and hand it to Delly, who takes it gratefully. Sitting down next to her, I wait patiently while she blows on the hot chocolate then takes a few sips. Once she puts the cup down gently on the table, she turns back to me.

I nod and she takes a deep breath, about to spill out everything that happened when she says, "You already know."

It takes me a moment to respond to what she said, maybe she is lying? "What do you mean?" Maybe if I try playing it out as if I didn't know, then maybe she will tell me what happened.

"Peeta, stop playing stupid," Delly sighs, "Dr. Aurelius already told you. I overheard one of the nurses talking to him about it, asking how the phone call went."

I realize that Delly only thinks he gave me a call to tell me about the situation, not also sending me a letter. Even though I feel guilty about lying to Delly, I continue, reminding myself that it is for her own good, "I'm sorry Dells... I just thought you would want to tell me yourself."

"Actually, it's better that you already know, so you can have an idea of what I'm going through. Peeta…you have no idea."

"I'm so sorry Delly, I should have stayed with you. I should have looked over you and Randy. I mean, you helped me every day and I just left you right when I got the option!"

"Peeta, it's not your fault! How were you supposed to know that something would happen? I'm just….scared; there I said it. I'm scared Peeta. I'm scared Randy's life, I'm scared for mine!" Delly takes a deep breath, "Randy tried to kill himself."

Delly must think that I didn't know that already, but this time I don't need to act, that sentence still makes me flinch, "You're kidding?"

More tears well up in Delly's eyes, pouring down her cheeks like a stream, "He did it willingly; with me right in the room! I was sleeping, and…and I just got a sisterly instinct and woke up to find him about to attempt suicide. What if I didn't wake up, Peeta? What if I didn't stop him?"

Her body racks and she curls up into a ball. She looks as if she were six again, sitting curled up on the couch her parents shoe shop, counting to twenty about to come and find me. I always hid in the same five spots, in the bottom cabinet full of lace, behind the couch that she counted on, curled up on a rack where boxes for shoes are supposed to go, behind customers who would stand still and play along if I asked nicely, and rarely in the back of the store where their secret tailor shop was. One day when we were playing, she ran towards the couch to jump down onto the cushion and count when an impatient man got in her way and she tripped, stubbing her bare toe on a nail in the floor. She curled up in a ball on the couch and cried her eyes out until they were red and puffy. I scowled the man who hurt Delly then comforted her on the couch until she forgot all about her toe and we laughed and joked until it was closing time. That moment was one I would never forget.

I slide over on the couch until I am right next to Delly and wrap my arms around her, pulling her onto my lap. "Do you want to know what this reminds me of?" I whisper gently, rubbing her back.

By now my shirt has a stain of tears, but it doesn't bother me. She shrugs her shoulders, which to her is telling me to go on.

"It was about eleven years ago. There was this one girl, she was very bubbly; with hair so blonde and curly I thought that it would twist anything in its path. She was wearing a green dress that had pink poke-a-dots on it and it was the most expensive dress she owned, so her parents were wary about her wearing it. She was running towards her favorite hide-and-seek couch when a man got in her way, making her trip and stub her toe on the couch. She sat on that couch curled up in a ball, kind of just like you are right now, and cried and cried. It broke my heart to see her like that because I thought girls just as happy as her weren't supposed to cry. So I, being a nice Mellark boy like my brothers, comforted the girl. I sat there and made her smile and forget all about her toe. And now I'm going to do the exact same thing."

Delly looks up at me, her eyes red and puffy just like that day, and she smiled, "You remember that day?"

I smile back down at her, "Every detail."

We spend a few more minutes talking until her yawns become consistent.

"Come on, let me show you to your room," I plant her onto her feet and walk around the couch, grabbing her luggage.

"But I'm," she yawns, "not even that tired."

I chuckle, "Sure you aren't." I start towards the stairs and turn back when I see her still standing in the same spot I left her, "Well come on, don't worry, I'm not going to bite."

She smiles at me and makes her way over to the stairs. Once we make it to the top, I walk a short way through the hallway until I am at the door across from mine. Opening the door, I move out-of-the-way so Delly can walk in first. She walks in, looking around at the décor that to me, is normal. I then remember that Delly has never been in a Victors home, and it is, somewhat, in a Capitol form. It is more extravagant than a Hob home above the shop you own, but to me, there is nothing extravagant about my home.

There is a queen bed against a wall in the middle of the room, a bedside table on each side with small odd-shaped lamps. There is a rectangular trunk, the size length of the bed, at the bottom of the bed, occupied by awaiting sheets to be put on the bed when the others are being washed. At one side of a wall there is a dresser, a vase with rocks and glue that makes the viewer think its water in it. On the other side of the room there is a full length mirror next to a rocking chair. There are other small decorations around the room, portraits, an alarm clock, a few plants here and there. I never painted this room yet, for the fact that nobody ever came in here before, and I never had any use for it.

"It's...wow. Are all Victor's homes this, this beautiful?" Delly looks around the room in awe.

"Actually, every Victor's home is mirror image, unless you change it up, of course," I tell her. "If that bed is just like mine, you'll fall asleep instantly." The only reason why I never fall asleep instantly is because of being afraid of the nightmares that will take over me once sleep covers me, "Okay," I clasp my hands together, "I'll leave you be. There's a bathroom downstairs, second door on the left in the hallway. Or you could use the bathroom in my room if you don't want to walk back downstairs. If you need anything, I'm going to be downstairs. Get some sleep." I smile and leave the room, closing the door lightly behind me.

I stand behind the door until I hear Delly fall against the bed, her breaths becoming shallow. Once I'm satisfied that she is asleep, I descend down the stairs. Knowing Delly as well as I do, I know that she will be asleep for a few hours from how tired she looked. As quietly as I can, I put on my shoes and leave the house, walking across the lawn towards Haymitch's home.

The door is wide open, which only makes me think that Katniss had troubles with Haymitch. When I walk in she is pulling a semi less sober Haymitch from the worn out couch and towards the kitchen. Once they make it to the kitchen, Katniss let's go of Haymitch, who slumps against the table. Katniss then pours two glasses of water, one cup she hands towards Haymitch, "Drink it, I don't want you to be drunk if I'm going to be here."

"Here's an idea: don't be here," sarcasm seems to be Haymitch's best friend when he is drunk.

"Okay, okay, here's an idea for you," Katniss snaps. By her voice, I know nothing good will come from this, "Take a shower." The water from the cup she was holding is dumped on Haymitch's head.

Before Haymitch could do anything his sober self would not, I walk into the kitchen, standing between the two, "You two always seem to amuse me when I walk into this house."

"Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on Delly?" Katniss asks, her voice still a little venomous from when she was talking to Haymitch.

I slightly wince, though I think Katniss noticed it, "She's asleep, she will probably stay asleep for a few hours. Don't worry, we talked, she's okay for now. Did you read the letter?"

Katniss shows me the letter in her hand, "Not yet. I was going to, but then Haymitch decided to get snappy and I wasn't in the mood for his back talk."

Haymitch smirks at us but stays quiet. At the same moment his smirk leaves his face; he must remember what the letter is about now.

"You should read it now," Haymitch instructs Katniss.

Katniss sighs, "Will do."

Katniss unfolds the letter and begins to read. After a while, she cups her hand over her mouth and looks up at me as if asking me if the letter is true. I nod very slightly, unable to break eye contact with her.

"Who would have done this?" Katniss' asks, her voice coming out muffled from behind her hand, "They lived in the hospital apartments, for Panems sake!"

"Did you just say 'for Panems sake'? Who even says that anymore? That's so…two centuries ago." Haymitch laughs. Katniss gives him a death glare and he then keeps his mouth shut.

"I don't know who would have done this. District 13 doesn't know who would have done this. For all we know, a doctor could have drugged them when they went to an appointment, a cafeteria woman could have, even a visitor could have." I answer, running all this through my head while I speak.

"I can help you keep an eye on Delly," Katniss blurts out. Something overcomes her face, but it is gone just as fast that I couldn't figure it out.

A small smile spreads across my face, "That would help a lot, actually; Delly needs more people to help her through this."

What surprises me next is the smile that Katniss gives me. It wasn't just one of her normal smiles that she lets show less and less every day, but a smile that she only showed me once when we were on the beach of the Quarter Quell. One not just filled with happiness but a little bit of love and affection.

A pang of guilt erupts through me, this is my fault. This is my fault that she stopped talking to me for that period of time. If I haven't kissed her when in the kitchen, she would have been talking to me.

"Listen, Katniss, I'm –" I start to apologize when she cuts me off.  
"Don't say you're sorry; you have nothing to be sorry for. I should be the one saying sorry, so, I'm sorry."

"But-" I try again when I, once again, get cut off.

"No buts. I know that you are still…unstable at points, and what I did certainly was not the best idea." Katniss' face shows how much she wants me to forgive her. Does she really not understand that I'm not mad at her?

"Katniss, there is nothing for you to be sorry about. It's one-hundred percent my fault." I then remember that Haymitch is on the left of me and it would not be a good idea of him knowing what happened. If Katniss says he had snappy remarks before and got aggravated, then I don't think it would be good to get him going again, "If I haven't…well I had no right to do that."

And that is when Haymitch speaks up, "What, did lover boy try and get with you; if you catch my drift." He wiggles his eyebrows, which only causes Katniss to reach around me and slap him in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Haymitch snaps at me, "I thought you were in the middle of us so you could protect me!"

"She's too fast," I smirk.

Haymitch looks from me, to Katniss, then back again, "Something went on between you two, and I want to know what."

"I'll tell you," I give a devilish grin. Katniss looks wide-eyed at me until I continue what I was going to say, "When you stop drinking."

Haymitch grunts, clearly aggravated, and then sighs, "You drive a good bargain, Mellark. I'll find out somehow, you just wait. I have my ways."

"Haymitch, I don't know if you haven't noticed, but the word 'sober' isn't particularly your best friend. You and the word are more at ends of enemies. And I don't think drunk Haymitch would give two thoughts about what we are talking about." The sarcasm in Katniss' voice like venom, just spewing out after every word.

"Watch it, sweetheart," Is all Haymitch gets out of his mouth before the fit of laughter takes over.

We talk and laugh for what seems like a while until the conversation starts to die down and noon comes rolling by. "You two are welcome to come over for lunch." I propose, "I'm sure Delly will be anytime now, and I don't think she will cope well when she finds out no one is in the house."

To my excitement, Katniss gladly agrees, though Haymitch asks questions, "What are we eating?"

"Left over beef stew," I answer politely, even though he will sooner or later get on my nerves.

"You two won't be kissing at any time through this occasion, correct?"

"Haymitch!" Katniss and I both yell at the same time.

"I'm taking that as a maybe," He says.

I shake my head and head out the door, knowing that they will follow at some point in the next few minutes. Once I make it to my door and open it, I can hear Katniss and Haymitch stomping down Haymitch's front steps.

By the time I take the left over beef stew out of the refrigerator and pour some into four bowls, Katniss and Haymitch come walking into the house. Two at a time, I put the bowls into a high-class Capitol cooking machine. I only used the microwave three other times before, and I'm just understanding how to use it properly. After I punch in the one minute and thirty-second time on the microwave, I excuse myself so I can wake up Delly for lunch.

Making my way up the stairs, I can hear something coming from Delly's room. I fasten my pace and enter the room, seeing that she is thrashing around in bed. I rush over to her and sit on the edge of the bed, gently shaking her awake. Her eyes jolt open and I take her into my arms, rubbing her back soothingly, "Shh Delly calm down, it was just a nightmare. Shh everything is going to be okay, nothing is going to happen to you."

At first all she does is sob into my shoulder and shake, but after a few minutes her sobs turn into small shaky breaths and her shaking subsides.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask her gently.

Delly just shakes her head and sits up straight, "Thank you though."

"Anything for you, Dells," I smile, knowing that I haven't called her Dells in such a long time.

Delly smiles and opens her mouth, as if to say something, when something catches her eyes and she looks towards the door.

I turn my head and see Katniss standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything," she says, which makes me let go of Delly and turn myself towards Katniss. She continues, though she looks unsure if she should, "Lunch is ready…just thought you should know. I'll leave both your bowls in the microwave so they don't get cold." Katniss looks at us one more time and gives an unconvincing smile, then goes back down the stairs.

Delly looks at me with confusion, "What was that all about?"

"I don't know, but I'll find out soon," I answer, "Come on, there's beef stew downstairs."

Delly and I get off the bed and walk towards the door when Delly questions, "Microwave?"

I chuckle and explain what a microwave is while we walk down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Why hello there, long time no see, eh?" Haymitch greet Delly. He knows not to fool around with Delly just yet, that she needs to be handled gently and with as much nicely as possible.

Delly greets him back, then turns her attention towards Katniss, "Don't worry Katniss, you didn't interrupt anything, I just had a nightmare. And nice to see you again." She smiles warmly.

The smile Katniss gives back was mostly done on her own, though I can see she forced some of it, "Just making sure. And you, too."

I walk over towards the microwave and take out the two bowls that Katniss left in there.

"That's a microwave?" Delly looks in awe.

"Indeed it is," I place the two bowls on the table while Katniss places the other two. We all sit, eat, and talk for almost an hour. Katniss sits next to me while Delly gladly sits next to Haymitch.

After a few hours, Haymitch decides that it is his time to leave and says goodbye to everyone. Katniss, Delly, and I sit in the living room, talking about Districts 12 improvement as well as mine.

"Let me get this straight, there is a group of District 12 citizens building the district up better than before?" Delly asks, trying to sort everything out.

"Basically, yeah. They are going to be having a few things that would be found in the Capitol here, but nothing major." Katniss answers. Both Delly and Katniss have started to become friends, even out of the few hours they have spoken. Delly seems more ecstatic about it, for the fact that she has tried to get me to talk to Katniss since grade school.

"And to think, I thought the District would look just as crummy as before," Delly laughs. She looks over at the clock handing on the wall besides the fireplace, which reads 9:40, and yawns, "To think, even though I slept for hours, I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I'll just head to bed, night."

"Night," Katniss and I both say at the same time.

Once Delly is in her room, I take her spot on the couch instead of staying on the floor. Before I could stop myself, I turn to Katniss and ask, "Are we friends or do you not want to keep any times with me anymore?"

Katniss sighs before speaking, "Peeta, I know that we haven't gotten off on a great start ever since you came back, but that doesn't mean I don't want to be friends with you. I think…I think we should just start over, pretend you just came back."

"Okay," I smile and extend my hand, "Hi Katniss, long time no see."

Katniss smiles back and takes my hand, shaking it, "Hello, Peeta, nice to finally see you again."

We both look at each other, then Katniss pulls me into her, wrapping me into a hug. I freeze for a moment, shocked by what she is doing, but that only lasts a minute for I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight.

We both sit there for the rest of the night and talk about everything that has been going on from the time we have been in different Districts. And during that whole time I realized that I finally had the woman I loved back in my life.

* * *

Light hits my eyes, forcing me to open them and look at my surrounding. I am laying on my back on the couch with Katniss on my chest. I don't remember falling asleep last night, or when we got into this position. A few knocks come from the front door, causing Katniss to wake up and look around. A sound upstairs tells me that Delly is also up. Katniss and I look at each other, mentally asking how we got like this, but the door is once again banged on.

To my disappointment, Katniss gets off of me so I can go open the door. Scratching the back of my head, I make my way to the door and open it. A man is standing in the doorway, a construction belt wrapped around his waist with various tools hanging to it.

"Would you happen to know where Katniss is? She isn't at her house and I haven't seen her at the Hob." I look at strange man in confusion, when Katniss comes up next to me, "What do you need me for, Thom?"

That's why the man looked strangely familiar, I saw him with Katniss before at the Hob, and then on a few occasions helping out to build the District back up from its ashes.

Thom looks at us and smirks, "Am I interrupting something? Because if I am…I want to hear every detail."

"Nothing happened," Katniss snaps, "Anyway, what do you need?"

"Well actually, I –" Thom starts when he looks past both of us and into the house.

Katniss and I turn around to see Delly standing behind us, looking at Thom. The look in both of their eyes is something I have rarely seen before, as if they have been best friends for such a long time and loved every second together, though this is the first time they have ever lain eyes on each other.

"Hi," Thom says, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Hi," Delly says back, with the warmest smile coming across her face.

**I know, I know, suckish ending. But what do you think, do you see a potential couple ahead of us? Tell me what you think! Sorry if you found this chapter boring. I will try my best to post in the next two weeks, but I can't keep any promises.**

If you have an instagram, follow love_everlark its where I post updates or excuses of why I can't post something, things like that.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello sugar cubes! Sorry that his is such a short chapter, it is a filler up chapter of sorts. Hopefully you will forgive me with the humor I TRIED to put in it.  
Please read my A/N at the after this chapter. Thanks c:**_

* * *

_**-Katniss P.O.V-**_

* * *

_**Emotions Take Flight**_

* * *

"Hi"

"Hi" Delly gives a shy smile, unaware that she just started rubbing the bottom end of her shirt between her index and thumb finger.

Peeta and I look at Thom and Delly, then at each other, smirking. From what I know of, Delly and Thom have never met before, and by the looks of it, they haven't. Both Peeta and I move out-of-the-way so Thom and Delly can see each other better, though they both don't seem to notice that we moved.

"I'm Thom," Thom introduces himself in the same gentle voice that I have never heard before, "Thom Vicston." He extends his hand outwards towards Delly, awaiting to shake her hand.

Delly looks at Peeta for just the slightest moment that I thought I was just conjuring it up, then extends her hand, "Delly Cartwright." Their hands connect, shaking up and down twice. Once their hands detach, a look of regret clicks through each of their eyes, as if they didn't want to let go.

"Say, how about I show you around? For the parts that are done with construction, I mean." Thom asks.

"That sounds interesting; I would love to go," Delly smiles.

She starts to head for the door, having her being in the clothes she slept in that night unaware to her. Peeta and I put our arms out in front of the threshold, stopping Delly in her tracks, "You might want to change into a different attire." Peeta smirks, pointing his index finger at her bed attire.

"Oh," Delly's face turns five shades of red, "That must have slipped my mind. I'll just be a second."

She runs up the stairs and closes the door behind her with an abrupt bang. I turn to look at Thom and lift my eyebrows, giving him the expression of _'care to explain'. _

"What? There is nothing wrong with taking a fine woman out for a tour of my handy-man building skills."

I crack a smile at my friend, "You really are something, Thom, you truly are.

"Hey, what can I say? The women dig construction men."

"What kind of Capitol show have you been watching?" My smile only seems to grow wider, though I roll my eyes to seem as if he isn't all he thinks he is.

Peeta taps my elbow so slightly that I would have thought he just did it by accident, but he then he does it again. I turn my eyes towards him and he leans in, his breath tickling my ear, and whispers, "Should we tell him? A bit a least?"

I nod in response and turn back towards Thom, "Keep an eye on Delly for us, you got it?"

"Can she not fend for herself? Or are you two just practicing parenthood?"

My cheeks turn a light shade of pink from his remark but never the less, Peeta doesn't seem to react, "Just keep an eye on her, please. It's best you not know the reason, but trust me when I say this, if something happens to her, I will form my baking skills into a way to harm you."

"Okay, so Mr. Gingerbread Man has a temper," Thom holds in a chuckle, "Someone left him in the oven for too long, I see."

Even though Peeta has just been mildly insulted, he chuckles. For the short time that Peeta has known Thom, he has come to learn that Thom has an interesting personality, such as his humor. I never thought that Thom and I would become good friends, considering our many differences besides hunting. But then it does make sense when I think about it because it reminds me of Peeta and I. We have nothing in common besides our brutal last two years.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with a little burnt bread," Peeta shoots back quietly. It instantly brings a smile to my face thinking about what he meant.

Thom, not knowing the true meaning behind what he said, retorts, "A gingerbread isn't bread."

"You're telling a baker what is and isn't bread?" I laugh.

"Wheat," Peeta answers, "A gingerbread has wheat."

Thom opens his mouth when Peeta cuts him off, "Wheat makes bread, so technically…never mind." He stops since his comment didn't have anything to do about what Thom was thinking.

Delly stomps down the stairs, walking up to the door, "Okay, I think I'm ready."

"Great, let's get going, shall we?" Thom smiles, extending his arm towards the Hob.

"We shall," Delly smiles back. Before she leaves she looks at Peeta and I, giving us a reassuring nod, and leaves with Thom.

* * *

**So, again, sorry for such the short chapter. If you didn't think it was a filler up chapter, don't worry, it was. It was more about the relationship about Thom and Delly.  
SORRY THAT IT ISN'T ABOUT KATNISS AND PEETA! DON'T WORRY THEY ARE COMING cx  
Okay so I really needed to ask was this: Do you want the next chapter to be from Thom or Delly's P.O.V ( keep in mind that it will yes, be a short-ish chapter depending on what I write but it will come sooner than usual, maybe tonight, tomorrow, or the next day ) Or would you like it to be about Katniss and Peeta? If I write about Thom and Delly, it will give you a bigger sense of them. Just saying.  
OKAY THIS IS TOOOOOO LONG. Follow and review c:**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello sugar cubes! Have you realized that this is the quickest update yet? Since only one fabulous person gave me a review on what P.O.V this chapter should be, I decided that I will do both Thom and Peeta's P.O.V. **

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**-Thom's P.O.V-**

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**Memorable Day**

* * *

After Delly steps out-of-door, I knew that today was going to be a memorable day. The moment I laid my eyes on Delly, I knew it was love at first sight. I'm not a believer of love at first sight, or love at all, and it just changed like that. I've never loved somebody, nor have I planned on putting it on my to-do list.

Delly though, Delly is something else. Her hair is pure blonde, not like the Capitol bright-at-the-sun blonde. Her face is round, almost like a chipmunk. It's better than the long, slim faces that the girls I usually get have. She also isn't as thin as the other girls, which is good. The girls were so thin that I thought if I bent them too much, they would snap in half. Delly is the girl I never dreamt of. Delly is the girl that I now dream of.

We walk side by side towards the Hob, close enough that our arms almost brush against each other.

Almost.

At first it we both keep silent, not an awkward silence, but a comfortable one. Deciding to be the one to break the silence, I ask, "Were you a Seam or Hob child?"

"What?" Delly asks, caught off guard by my question.

"Where did you live? The Seam or Hob?"

"Oh!" Delly laughs a bit to herself, "I was a Hob child. My parents owned the Shoe shop, right next to the Mellark Bakery."

"Wait, your parents owned the Shoe shop?" I'm baffled, I used to go there all the time and trade two squirrels for a proper shoe cleaning. Back when people weren't allowed to go into the woods to hunt, having that much mud and dirt on your shoes would get people suspicious.

"Indeed they did. Why is it such a shock?"

"Because I used to go there at least twice a month and I never once saw you. Well, I'm guessing you were the energetic five-year old running around, but I never thought that would be you."

"But I would have at least recognized you now because I would have remembered your face when I was older. I placed every customer with their attitude." She states.

"I always went when kids were at school and adults were at work; fewer people to be caught by."

"You are a smart man, Vicston. So what about you?"

"Hmm?" I hum, not quite sure about what she meant.

She laughs at me, "Seam or Hob baby?"

"Girl, I'm full on Seam!" Delly cracks a smile, "You don't just get this amazing being Hob."

"Well I beg to differ. I'm Hob, and you have to admit, I'm pretty amazing."

By now Delly and I are just walking into the Hob. I start strolling over towards the Justice Building, which was the first building we re-built in orders from the Capitol. The Justice Building is now used for getting a marriage license, divorce papers, to hold criminals, meetings, and District announcements. It is also set up differently, to go with the 'No More Games' look.

I look down at Delly and give a crooked smile, "I would agree with that." Looking up at the Justice Building, I extend my arm towards it, showing her what we are looking at, "And this, my dear fellow, is the new and improved Justice Building." I explain to her what the Justice Building does, and she nods in agreement.

"Now, if you would kindly follow me, I will give you a tour and description about our shops in the center of the Hob. Now please, keep all hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, thank you." I try to give my best Capital tourist voice.

"That seems like it would be fairly hard, considering there is no vehicle," Delly smirks.

"So you have back talk, huh? Well that is just no good. You, my dear, will be punished," I say in a stern voice. I lift her off her feet and throw her over my shoulder.

She playful pounds her fists on my back, "Put me down!" She laughs.

"I don't think that is going to happen, my dear," I continue on into the Hob with Delly, who seems to have given up getting out of my clutches, on my shoulder.

I continue on showing her everything else that has been finished, but purposely skip the trail that had her families Shoe shop. By now, it is time for lunch, and thankfully we are passing Greasy Sae's.

I set Delly back onto the ground and we both walk into Greasy Sae's together. We both walk up towards the counter and sit on two open stools. Delly taps on the bell twice, making a small echoing sound. Greasy Sae comes out of the back, wiping her hands back and forth on her apron. She gives Delly a double take then exclaims, "Delly! Delly Cartwright! Look how big you got, girl."

Delly stands from her stool and hugs Sae from over the counter, "Hi, Sae. I missed you so much!"

"Oh, honey, you too. Now what would you be doing with a man like this? Thom is a rebel child, something that you shouldn't rub off on." Sae smirks at me, who only bows his head towards her.

"Oh Sae, he isn't THAT bad. Besides, he is showing me around town."

"Well you two need something to fill you up. What in this hot weather, you better not walk on an empty stomach! Now say, Thom would you like to try the stew that has your deer in it? It's a seller." Sae turns her attention towards me.

"That'd be great Sae, thank you," I say.

"Okay, I will be right back," Sae reassures then turns to where she came out from.

Delly sits back on her stool and turns towards me, "So are you some known building prodigy around here, or what?"

"I am known around here, but I'm not sure if people would consider me a prodigy. More like a good-looking construction man."

"Sure, and I'm a high-class Capitol hooker," Delly says sarcastically.

"I'm serious!" I try to be serious, but laughs escape my lips anyway.

"I'm just kidding, I believe you. So how old are you anyway? You could be in your twenties, but then you could be in your teen years; you have one of those faces where it is hard to figure out.

"I'll consider that a compliment. I'm nineteen, turning the big two-o when the leaves turn."

"So that means…October?" Delly tries to figure out.

"I would hope so, unless I have had a false birth date for quite some time. What about you? How old?"

Delly stays quiet for a moment, then mumbles, "Seventeen."

"Sorry I couldn't quite understand you?" I say more of a question than a statement.

Delly sighs then looks towards the small window into the kitchen, "I'm seventeen. I know, I'm probably too young for someone like you to be talking to me."

By that, I'm caught off guard. Not by her age, but by why she would think that, "Now why on Earth would you think that? Being seventeen doesn't change anything for me talking to you. I'd still think the same about you."

Delly looks me in the eyes and asks, "What do you think about me?"

Before I could answer, Sae walks back towards the counter with two hot, steaming bowls of deer stew, "Here you go, kiddies."

"Thanks, Sae," Delly and I both say at the same time.

Sae smile at us, then turns to leave. "Wait!" I call Sae back, "Here," I say rummaging in my pocket for change to pay for the meal.

"No need, dear, just come back sometime next week with more meat for a stew." Sae smiles then leaves us again.

While Delly and I finish our deer stew, we talk about anything from our favorite color to favorite hobby. Once we leave, I have no hesitation when I grab Delly's hand and entwine it in mine. She freezes for a moment, but then relaxes into my touch and leans against my arm while we walk back towards Victors Village.

Once we walk up Peeta's front steps, we stand in front of the closed-door and face each other. "Thanks for showing me around, it is definitely going to be a…memorable day." Delly smiles and I can't help smiling myself, remembering when I thought the same thing.

"Whenever you like," I smile back.

"You know," Delly sighs playfully, "You never did tell me what you thought about me."

"Does this tell you?" I whisper gently and bend my head down, holding her face in my hands. Our lips meet and it feels like I have been struck with electricity. She is on her tip toes while I bend down, considering she is only up to my chest in height. We both lose our balance a bit, falling against the door, but we both don't quit what we are doing.

Before the kiss deepens, the door swings open, its hinges making a creaking noise, and a flushed faced Peeta is standing in the doorway.

* * *

**-Peeta P.O.V-**

* * *

Once I close the door, I move the window shades back and watch Delly and Thom leave towards the Hob. I've known Thom long enough to realize that he is a player, and I'm not sure that Delly associating with him would be the best right now.

Behind me, Katniss scoffs, "Peeta, relax, Thom is going to show her around the Hob, not molest her."

I turn back and look at her, my eyes wide from what she said, "What?"

"Peeta it was a joke, calm down. You know Thom, he is a nice guy. He wouldn't do anything to hurt Delly."

"Yes, but I also know Thom well enough to know that he is a player. And I also know that when Delly is depressed, she does things that she wouldn't when she is in the right mind." I remind her.

"Sure, Thom can be a player when he wants to, but he wouldn't take control on Delly's behavior. He'll help her, you know. Besides, did you see how she looked at him? It seems like they connected."

"I know, you're right. I'm just," I sigh, running my fingers through my curly hair, "over reacting." A chuckle escapes my lips, "I sounded like her father, didn't I?"

Katniss walks over to me and puts her hands on my shoulders, "That's okay, she's your friend. She helped you through a tough time, and now you are just trying to do the same. Maybe this is good for Delly, to get her mind off of everything."

I can't help the smile that forms on my face when Katniss acts like nothing has ever happened between us. She seem to notice and smirks a bit herself, "You are one happy boy, Mellark."

"Indeed I am, Everdeen,"

Katniss drops her hands and walks over to the couch, slumping into it gratefully. "You do realize how sorry I am, for everything. Not just for what I did since you have been back in 12, but for what I did the past year. Everything."

I walk over to the couch and sit next to her, putting my hand on her knee. At first I thought she would flinch away from my touch of freeze for a moment, but she doesn't, she seems relaxed by it, "I am only going to tell you this one more time, so listen out. There. Is. Nothing. To. Be. Sorry. For. I realized why you did all the things you did, to keep us and your family alive. And what you did when I came back, it was to protect yourself from the past."

"If I wanted to protect myself from the past, I would be doing what Dr. Aurelius says. He put me on a strict routine that I had to follow every day to get my brain back on track with the old me. Do you think I do it? Sure, I followed it for a week or two, but I just couldn't do it. I know that my life will never go back to the way it was, no matter how much I try. I will still re-visit it every night."

I knew what she meant by that, seeing it in her dreams. "I know what you mean. Every dream…every time my eyes close. I live the dreams out through my paintings, sometimes through my baking. I'll put a scene on a cake with frosting every here and there." I laugh a bit to myself and look down, "It helps, in some bizarre way…it helps."

Katniss sighs and I look up at her, "See, you can live out your fears to help you through it. I can't. All I do is hunt and when I hunt, it reminds me of -" She pauses, not wanting to bring up the Games in front of me, "you know what I mean. But I still go hunting, it was something I did with my father, something I did for my entire life…"

"But Katniss hunting does help you through your past. It reminds you of everything you loved, everything you still love. There is no need for you to stop something you love just because it reminds you of a bad two years." I reassure her, comfortingly rubbing my hand on her knee.

Katniss looks at my hand then towards me, "Want to know what I don't understand?"

"Tell me," I say gently.

"How you could make a person, any person, feel better by just being present to them. How you could be so…so selfless. I could never be like that even if I tried." She whispers.

With that, I am taken off guard. I never thought I'd see this side of Katniss, so open, "But Katniss, that isn't true. When you were only a child, you kept your little sister and your mother alive. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that is a very selfless thing to do." I lower my voice so it is only a murmur, "And you made my life worth living."

"What do you mean?" Katniss questions.

"I mean exactly what I said. I had nothing good going in my life. Sure, I was one of the top three best wrestlers in school, my family owned a bakery, I had great brothers, and an amazing best friend, but there was nothing more. My mom beat me, she didn't acknowledge me, and my father couldn't show me his love in the way he wanted to with my mother telling him what to do. I would have traded anything to have my parents love me the way a real parent should. But then I realized that my life wasn't so bad compared to others. And when I saw you outside in the rain so many years ago and I gave you the bread…I knew that if you could survive under your conditions, then I could survive under mine."

Before I could comprehend what was going on, Katniss was kissing me. I never thought that she would ever do that again. I gently cup her face between my hands and kiss her back, almost a bit too smugly considering how happy I am. When I realize that both of us don't plan on being the one to break the kiss, I decide to deepen it just a bit. Katniss' hands find my neck and she wraps them there, holding me tight. Right at this moment I knew that today was going to be a memorable day. When I was deciding if air was an option to cut this kiss, I hear a bang on the door.

The noise makes both Katniss and I jump in shock. I look at her face, which is flushed and red with the blushing that just came across her face. I can only imagined that I look the same. Katniss smirks at me but she seems in a days; as well I feel the same. I look at her one more time and walk over to the door, swinging it open. My jaw drops when I see Delly and Thom kissing.

* * *

**Sorry if this was a bad chapter. I thought it was kind of an emotional one, if you think from the character's perspective. Sorry if you didn't like how I had Katniss and Peeta jump into a relationship like that. And by relationship, I mean in a friend way. I know friends don't kiss…but I haven't made them a couple…yet. **

**So I need some suggestions, because I have ideas of sorts but I don't know. What do you guys want?  
Please review because I haven't been getting much and I really want to know what you guys think about this. Thank you c:**


	14. Chapter 14

***IMPORTANT MUST READ*  
I WILL BE CHANGING MY PIN NAME FROM LoveEverlark TO Fandimonium THE REASON I AM CHANGING IT IS BECAUSE I WILL NO LONGER BE WRITING FOR JUST THE HUNGER GAMES, BUT AS WELL AS OTHERS. PLEASE READ THIS SO YOU WILL KNOW FOR THE FUTURE. I WILL CHANGE IT THE NEXT TIME I POST A CHAPTER. SO POSSIBLY IN TWO WEEKS.  
A/N at the bottom**

* * *

**-Katniss P.O.V-**

* * *

**Baby Steps**

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***two weeks later***

* * *

Every so often, I sneak a glance at Peeta. He is flipping omelets for Delly, Haymitch, himself, and I. Even though his back is facing me, I can visually see the smile that is plastered on his face, the one that has been there every day since the day I kissed him.

The whole day still runs throughout my mind constantly, pulling my mind out of reality until someone brings me back in. After Delly and Thom came inside, their faces red and lips swollen, I didn't even have to ask what they had done. Considering how Peeta's face looked, as well as myself, they didn't need to ask what we have done either.

Peeta and I have slowly gained each other's trust and friendship over the past two weeks. I have learned that I could have trusted Peeta with anything and he learned that I have more than one side besides the one that hides from everything.

"Katniss? Katniss if you are going to stare at Peeta, try not making it so noticeable." Delly whispers in my ear, once again reminding myself where I am. I realize that when I was thinking about that day, I was still eyeing Peeta.

"My bad," I mumble, feeling my face turn a shade of pink.

The front door opens and slams shut, Haymitch walking into the kitchen and taking a seat. He puts his face between his arms and lays it on the table, groaning, "Turn off the shade and close the sun."

Delly and I laugh at Haymitch and Peeta says, "Maybe if you stopped drinking so much, you wouldn't have such a bad hangover."

"Maybe if you made me something to eat, I wouldn't have the temptation to tackle you to the ground," Haymitch growls.

"Touché," Peeta mumbles, making me grin.

With one last flip of the pan, Peeta places each omelet in a plate and hands them to each of us. While we talk and eat, the telephone rings, making Delly jump. Peeta looks at Delly and nods reassuringly while I stand up and answer the phone, "Hello?"

"Katniss? Well what a surprise!" The person squeals on the other side of the phone. It takes me a moment before I place the voice with a face.

"Annie?" I ask, making sure I am correct.

Haymitch lifts his head when I say her name while he and Peeta look at me in confusion. I wave my hand at them and turn my attention back to the telephone.

"Last time I checked, that was indeed my name. How have you and Peeta been?" I strain my ears to hear her when a baby in the background starts to cry.

"Wait, whose baby is that?" I ask, forgetting her question. Peeta and Haymitch look at me once again in confusion.

"Mine, of course! Hold on one second, I just need to put him in his crib." My mouth drops when she tells me she had her baby. I never knew when she was supposed to have it, but I didn't think it was so soon.

"It's her baby," I mouth to the people watching me. Their eyes widen a bit, but then they go back to normal when I put my attention back towards the telephone.

"Finnick doesn't seem to stop his crying, now-a-days. Say, how about we meet up? I feel like I haven't seen you in a century!"

Unwelcomed tears well up in my eyes when she said her baby's name. "Why don't you come down here, then? I have a spare bedroom that you and…your baby…can use." I catch my voice wavering, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"That would be terrific! I'll leave in three days, does that sound good?"

"Sounds great," I can't seem to come of words now, my mind is still wavering about her baby's name.

Her husband. The father of her baby. The Capitols sex slave. The Tribute. The Victor. My friend.

"Okay so I will see you in four days. I should get going though, if I don't get Finnick to stop crying now, he will never stop. Say bye-bye Finnick!" Annie laughs when Finnick says bye-bye through his crying then hangs up.

"Bye-bye to you too, Finnick," I whisper, though she cannot hear me anymore.

I stand there for I don't know how long with the telephone buzzing in my ear when I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I try to make the tears disappear, but they stay in my eyes, awaiting to fall. With a sigh, I turn around and face Peeta.

Peeta's face softens when he sees the tears burning in the back of my eyes. He hesitates but then asks, "Finnick?" I know this is a hard subject to him too, but he doesn't show it. He must have heard what I had said after Annie hung up.

"Annie…Annie named her son Finnick," I whisper, no emotion in my voice.

For once, Peeta seems to be a loss at words. After a minute, he whispers, "I bet he looks just like him."

"Well we'll find out in four days," I say, trying to change the subject, "She's going to stay with me for a few days."

"What if seeing them brings back memories? What if I lose control? Katniss I don't want to hurt them. I don't want to hurt…Finnick." Peeta becomes anxious.

I put my hand on the side of his face, "Peeta, I won't let that happen." I know that I should have said something more reassuring, but I don't know how.

Peeta looks me in the eyes, and now I know that I need to be serious, "You're sure?"

"I'm positive," I say and pull him into a hug.

His arms enfold me, and for a short time, I feel like we are in our own world. But then I remember that Haymitch and Delly are still here, so I let go of Peeta and face them. They are both looking at us, unsure of what to do.

"For once, I would like to eat without feeling the need to vomit," Haymitch comments.

"That could be solved, all you need to do it put down the bottle. Then nausea free." Delly says through eating.

If Peeta or I had said that, we would have gotten a vulgar remark from Haymitch, but with Delly he just says, "I'm sure you're right."

Peeta and I sit down and we all go back to our breakfast. Every few minutes I catch a glance at Peeta who would be looking at me but then hastily brings his head down, as if I wouldn't notice. The old Katniss would glare at him and tell him to stop before I stick an arrow through his head, but the new Katniss kind of likes it.

The new Katniss wants it to last forever.

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter, it was a set up for future chapters, and the fact that I have MAJOR writers block. **

**Could anyone possibly give me suggestions? Thoughts? Ideas? I would truly appreciate it!  
I would also appreciate it if I could get to AT LEAST 30 reviews? And at least 40 followers? Sorry for being so needy, I'm being selfish like Tris. *gasp***


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello all! A/U will be down at the bottom but…**

**Would you all please read, follow, and review my dear friend the-true-mockingjay and read her story Baby Bliss **

**She is an amazing person and even better writer, so please go read her stories!**

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

**Unfolding Scars**

* * *

Yesterday went by in slow motion. After we all finished breakfast, Katniss and I were in our own worlds. Annie and her son are constantly floating in our minds with different scenarios on what could occur. I've racked through my brain trying to find a way to keep myself from having a flashback when I see them. Katniss told me a numerous amount of times that she would not let anything happen.

And I believe her.

After breakfast, Delly and I wash dishes that were in need of cleaning.

"If we keep having omelets every day, I think we might turn into one,"

"Then Buttercup could eat us. It would be better than going to waste," Delly tries to be serious but ends up laughing.

"Somebody needs to take their medication," I remind Delly.

"I almost forgot and you too. We don't want you to forget yours."

I shut off the faucet and walk towards the bathroom to grab both our medicine bottles.

When I open my bottle and tilt it sideways for two pills to fall out, I come up empty-handed. Turning the bottle up, I look inside to see it only holding air.

My body starts to shake before I can register it. I take both Delly and mine's bottles in each hand and hurry out of the bathroom.

When I enter the kitchen Delly turns around holding two glass cups with water. "I have our…" She trails off when she sees me waiting anxiously, "Peeta, what's wrong?"

I try to speak but the words don't seem to come to me.

"Peeta, just say it."

Anger builds up inside of me and I slam the two bottles on the table. Delly didn't expect my abrupt outburst and drops one of the cups. The shatter of the cup sends a screeching echo through the house, which does not help with controlling myself.

She slowly outstretched her hand and takes my bottle and looks inside it, "It's empty. Don't worry, we can call Dr. Aurelius and he can ship them over today, problem solved."

I mentally slap myself for not thinking of the obvious and nod slightly. My shaking doesn't stop but I sit down and try to calm myself.

While Delly dials the number Dr. Aurelius' office, she cleans up the glass and water on the floor.

"Yes, hello, could you please forward me to Dr. Aurelius?" Delly speaks to the receptionist on the other line, "Thank you." She throws away the broken glass and grabs the other cup to take her pill.

Before she takes it, Dr. Aurelius must have picked up on the other end. "Hi Dr. Aurelius, its Delly Cartwright. How are you?"

I can hear the voice of Dr. Aurelius talking, but it is too muffled to make words out of.

"That's good and I'm fine, great actually," Delly's voice is warm but I know she is hiding the urgency.

I, however, have know problem showing my urgency. My eyesight comes in and out in a black cast. After every attempt of shaking my head in hopes that my sight would go back to normal, I retort to slapping myself across the face hard enough to see stars.

Black vision now stars, great job Mellark.

Delly's eyes flicker at me when she hears the impact of my palm and cheek.

"Yes, it is about Peeta. He went to get his medication and found that it was empty and he bursted out." She then whispers, "I don't know why he is so scared though, it's not like he can't get anymore."

The muffled voice speaks for a while, which only means that Dr. Aurelius is telling Delly why I am in this current state.

Delly's eyes snap up to me with tears threatening to fall. I look down at my hands, noting that my right palm is red from the slap.

"Oh, I didn't know," She whispers. Dr. Aurelius speaks again and after Delly says, "I'll hold."

We both wait in silence for a few minutes when the muffled voice comes back. Delly's face rages with confusion and anger, "What do you mean? You know what happens to him. You know! Isn't there anything you could do?"

I forget trying to calm down and let the anxiety fill up in me. Something is wrong and I'm sure it's not going to be good. "If anything happens it's on you!" Delly yells then proceeds to hang up the phone.

She looks at me awaiting for the bad news, "Peeta…why didn't you tell me?"

"When is it coming in?" I ask, ignoring her question.

"Peeta -" She tries to ask again but I cut her off, "When is it coming in."

"Import day this week," She says quietly.

"But today is Monday. I have to wait until Thursday? Delly, Delly you know what happens when I miss one day, and now I have to miss four days? I'm going to revert backwards and be mad again." I shake on the chair.

Delly walks over to me in attempt to sooth me but I put my hands up, in warning of not to touch me. My head snaps from side to side, making my neck feel useless. I squeeze my eyes shut and fight the flashbacks, but so far I'm losing. _Mutt._ NO!

Delly knows when I am fighting the flashbacks, for she has seen it many times, and runs out of the house. She comes back minutes later with Haymitch running into the house and…Katniss. _Mutt._

"L-leave, now!" I strain my throat with trying to speak instead of the old Capitol inside of me.

Katniss cautiously walks over to me with Haymitch right behind her. She sits down next to me and puts her hands on either side of my face. My head still twitches, but she holds it still, "Peeta, you know you can fight this. You can."

"Mutt," I whisper viciously but my head snaps to the side, "No."

The three can tell that I am fighting with myself and watch me with concern.

Katniss' thumbs rub circles against my cheeks, "Come on Peeta we know you're in there. You know you're in there. You can beat it."

False images begin to take over my sight and now instead of seeing Katniss, I see her in the form of a mutt. She has my middle brother pinned to the floor, jaws clenching around his shoulder. _Veer_, the mutt hisses his name. The mutt's claws swipe against his throat, forming a pool of blood.

My sight goes back to normal and I see Katniss, Haymitch, and Delly staring at me. Haymitch is standing in a position that is ready to jump, standing next to Katniss. _Mutt._

Another image takes me back down and now I see Katniss standing in front of me. An arrow is pointed between my eyes, held by the mutt. We are standing on the beach with water rolling onto our feet.

"Peeta, you know you wouldn't hurt me. Not me and our baby, our precious baby." Katniss speaks with venom dripping from her bottom lip, "You wouldn't want all of Panem to see the loving husband and father-to-be kill his own family, would you?"

My voice refuses to come to my aid.

"Now, if I kill you, Panem would expect you wanted me to, so the baby and I could be safe. After all, there is always one tribute that can survive." And with that, the arrow goes through my head.

My eyes come back to the present and land on Katniss. My eyes narrow and the last thing I remember is jumping up and pushing Katniss off the chair.

* * *

The ache in my head is what brings me back into consciousness. I rub my head and groan once I open my eyes to the blinding lamp light in my bedroom. Looking around, I see that I am laying on my bed, surrounded Delly and Haymitch. Delly is sitting on the bottom of the bed and Haymitch is standing next to me, watching my every move.

"W-what happened?" My voice is groggy from sleep, sounding foreign to me.

"You attacked Katniss, that's what happened," Haymitch snaps at me. Delly looks at him and Haymitch adds, "I know it wasn't completely your fault."

What? I couldn't have. I wouldn't have. "What do you mean?" My head throbs again, "And why is my head throbbing?"

This time Delly speaks, "You were trying to fight the flashbacks since you noticed you didn't have any more medication. And once you found out you couldn't get another dosage until import day, you couldn't fight back. I ran to Haymitch's house so he could help me and Katniss happened to be there and followed. She tried to calm you down and it looked like you had two flashbacks. After you came back from the second one you saw Katniss, jumped up and pushed her backwards off her chair." She looked like she was going to continue the story until she saw my face and stopped.

"But…why…oh my god," Is all I could say. "Did…did I hurt her?"

Before anyone could answer me, the joined bathroom door opens and Katniss emerges with an icepack planted on her forehead and what looks like another icepack on the back of her head.

She walks over to Haymitch but then sees that I am awake and stops, "You're up. You've been out for a few hours." Her voice doesn't sound harsh but rather gentle.

I try to get out of bed but the pounding in my head protests and I sit back down.

"No, no don't get up, lay down. Haymitch hit you pretty hard." Katniss looks at Haymitch who looks at me.

"Sorry kid, it wasn't intended," he says, though I think it was.

I look up at Katniss and instantly feel guilt wash over me, "Katniss…I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me! I would never hurt you, I would never lay a finger on you. I -"

"I know and I'm not mad at you. I know it's hard for you to control the flashbacks and we could see that you were trying. But sometimes they are just too strong, and you know that." Katniss cuts me off.

"He knows, you know, I know, we all know!" Haymitch mocks. I look at Haymitch and notice that he is sober; if he wasn't he might not have stopped me.

Katniss glares at him and Delly clears her throat, "Haymitch, I think we better be leaving. Give them time alone to talk?"

Haymitch gives me a glance, "Don't worry Haymitch, I'm in control now. I promise."

"I didn't need a promise, I needed reinsurance," and with that he leaves the room.

Delly looks at me then to Katniss and leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Katniss looks at me once again and sits at the top of the bed next to me. We both stay silent for a few minutes until I ask, "Why?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you stay? Why are you caring for me now? Why did you care for me when you knew there was a chance that I could hurt you?"

"Peeta, you've helped me more than you ever knew. Just when you were holding my hand throughout everything, it let me know that I was safe as long as you were next to me. We've been through hell and back and you were always the only one who knew what I was going through because you were going through the same thing. You lied to the country just so we could be safe. You risked your life just so I could be safe, and now, I am going to do the same."

I pull Katniss down and hold her in my arms for I don't know how long. When I'm stroking her arm, I notice a scar that is curled like the bottom of a leaf. I touch it with my thumb and feel that it is still a little lifted, as if it never fully healed yet. I pull back and ask, "Where was this scar from?" I'm surprised by my gentle voice, but even more surprised when I hear hers, "Mutt monkey. I never knew I had it until Haymitch forced me to shower when I began to live in District 12 again." She looks at the curved scar on my neck, "Where did you get that from?"

"Fighting off Cato. Remember when he held the knife up to me at the Cornucopia? He might have had a little too much fun and couldn't resist. What about that one?" I question, pointing to the one on her chest, right above her collar-bone.

She pulls down the top of her shirt until it reaches under her collar-bone so I can see the entire scar, "Clove and her handiness with knives. What about this one?"

* * *

We both lay side by side, propped up on our elbows so we can see each other. Most of our clothes are disposed on the ground so we can show each other every scar. In the short amount of two hours, we have become closer than we ever had from the little of telling each other about a scar. The memory of a scar can bring people closer together in a way that no one might ever thought of. Eight pm turned into nine pm then slowly eleven came around.

"What about this one?" I whisper, letting my finger scroll down a scar on her abdomen that rounds and curves in a beautiful pattern.

"Glimmer thought it was a good idea to decorate me. This one is the worst, it's so unpleasant and hideous."

"I happen to think it is the best one. It is beautiful; I could paint a hill full of flowers on it."

"Maybe you could someday," She whispers.

I smile until my eye catches something on her inner thigh. "And what could that be?"

She looks down to my gaze and blushes, "That's a birthmark."

"It looks like a fish," I state.

"Well it's my fish," She retorts.

I laugh and pull her in for a kiss. To my surprise, she doesn't tense or pull away, but deepens it. After a few moments we come up for air and she comes closer to me. "How did you get this one?" She points to the smallest scar that I own below my right eye.

I smile a little, thinking back on the day, "It was from the day I saw you sitting in the rain."

She lays her head on my bare chest and whispers, making my chest feel warm from her breath, "Tell me."

"I was in the back of the bakery, keeping an eye on the bread in the oven like my mother had said to when she went to tend with a few customers. I saw you outside and you looked hungry and in need of food so I did what I had to do. I went to the oven and turned the heat up at high as it would go to get the bread to burn. If the bread burned, my mother would make me take it outside to the pigs to feed. She smelled the bread, came to the back, and hit me with the only item she had in her hand."

"What was it?" Her voice sounds like a child's awaiting an answer they want to know but dread.

"A rolling-pin," I answer.

She lifts her head and looks at me, "Oh Peeta, I'm so sorry. You got hit and it was all my fault."

I hush her, "It was not your fault in any way possible."

She doesn't protest and lays her head back on my chest, "I like this."

"What do you like?" I ask while running my fingers through her wavy hair.

"Unfolding scars," She says softly. She sounds so content and comfortable that it brings a smile to my face.

"Unfolding scars?"

I can feel her smile against my chest when her cheek outstretched against it, "Telling every memory about each scar. It's like we are unfolding the memory." Katniss wraps her arm around me and I wrap mine around her back, holding her close to me. At this moment, I know that this is where I want the world to stay forever. Not up on the roof where the games were ahead of us and the Capitol was bringing everything down. But now where we are free and safe from harm. This is where I want to be.

"Then we are Unfolding Scars,"

* * *

**So, what did you think? I thought I would end it on a happy note considering you will all hate me of what I have in store for you next.**

**Did you like my little chapter title/story title involvement? I know I did!**

**But just wait for what I have in store for you sugarcubes, because we are taking an unexpected turn that no one will see coming.**

**Please review and follow Unfolding Scars c:**


	16. Chapter 16

**How are my sugarcubes doing today? **

**As I said in my last chapter, I will have an unexpected turn. Now I tried to put as much as I could in this one, but there isn't as many as you would like. The biggest unexpected turn is in, right now, a few chapters ahead. But there is going to be AT LEAST ONE in each chapter now!**

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

**Bowie Knife**

* * *

The faint noise of clattering in the kitchen awakens me from my slumber. My instincts tell me to go find the source to the noise but with a light sleeper like Peeta next to me, I decide not to. I crane my neck to the clock on the bedside table and see that it is 6:40; Delly is most likely downstairs making breakfast. I put my mind at ease and rest my head against the crook of Peeta's neck, sighing comfortingly at the warm skin.

What sounds like feet sliding against the carpet in the hallway takes place when the clattering disappears. A deep mumbling sound makes its way along with the sliding noise, but the mumbling makes the same note each time.

Having enough, I shake Peeta's arm, in hopes that he will wake. He stirs, blinking his eyes a few times to adjust to the small sunlight that peeks its wake through the open window. He looks up at me and smiles, "Good morning."

I skip saying good morning back and keep my voice serious, "Peeta I heard something."

He sits up, his face visually turning into game mode, "Where?"

I sit up myself, wrapping the sheet that is curled in a ball at the bottom of the bed around me, "In the hallway. I don't really know what it was."

He nods his head and tells me to stay put. I still find it funny when Peeta tries to be the protective one. We both won the Hunger Games, making us equally as tough.

Peeta climbs out of bed and walks over to the door as quietly as his prostatic leg lets him. He turns back to look at me one more time then opens the door so it's ajar. He turns his head to look outside the door when he stumbles back, the door swinging open and hitting the wall.

Delly stands rigid between the door holding a Bowie Knife in front of her in both hands; she somehow must have gotten it from my closet in my home. She is mumbling two words in a deep voice, too deep to conjure up the words.

"Oh no," Peeta whispers to himself.

I begin to stand up when Delly says the two words clearer that make my body go still, "Kill Everdeen."

At the same time, our eyes lock, and that's when all hell breaks loose. "Kill Everdeen!" She screams and charges towards me.

I roll off the bed, the sheet wrapping around my feet, making me fall to the floor. At the same time she pushes Peeta out-of-the-way and jumps onto the bed where I was just moments ago. I untangle my feet from the sheet and throw it at Delly, slowing her down.

Peeta runs over to me, standing in the space between me and the bed, holding his arm out in front of me.

"Peeta, what's going on?" I whisper.

"I don't know! I don't know what to do."

Delly's voice sounds like ones from a nightmare, as if she is singing the song of death, "I know what to do. Kill Everdeen!" She jumps down from the bed, trying to go around Peeta. She swings the knife around like a child with a stick, trying to get me but not Peeta.

By now she has us cornered to one section of the room, unable to go around. "She's not going to go after me, run and I'll hold her off. Don't go running into the woods where if she gets away there won't be anyone to help. Run where there are people for protection." Peeta says urgently.

"How am I supposed to get out of here?"

Delly lunges again, nearly hitting my arm. Peeta looks at the window then at me, "Through the window?" I ask.

"Do you trust me?" Peeta asks.

"I trust you," I answer without hesitation.

"On three. One. Two. Three!" Peeta yells.

As fast as I can, I run towards the open window closest to me. I can hear Peeta trying to hold Delly back with the grunt he lets out and Delly screaming, "Kill Everdeen! Kill Everdeen!"

I lift myself onto the windowsill about to jump down the two-story drop into the bushes when Peeta yells, "Watch out!"

I turn my head back to see what I have to look out for when a sharp pain shoots up the side of my arm. Caught off guard, I fall backwards and down into the bushes. A gasp escapes me, loud enough to echo throughout Victors Village. The side of my arm is skinned by the knife, stuck up on two ends. The curl of the knife must have gotten me.

I lift myself out of the bushes and run towards the Hob. My hand holds the wound, trying to get it to stop bleeding.

_Damn, why did Delly have to use such a sharp knife?_

My feet take me as fast as I can, only slowing down when I step on a rock. Once I get into the Hob, I get odd stares and laughs. The pain in my arm isn't as bearable as I would like anymore and my hand begins to slip constantly with blood.

Two men holding a coat and rag run up to me, Haymitch and Thom.

"Sweetheart, what the hell happened to you?" Haymitch frantically wraps the rag around the wound.

"And is there a reason you're running around the Hob in your undergarments? If you wanted to attract people, you might want to lose the blood." Thom puts the long coat around my shoulders.

From the running and blood loss, I find it hard to catch my breath, "Delly…bowie knife…kill me…Peeta…Peeta!" I try to run back to Victors Village when the ground becomes closer and hands elope me.

* * *

Something warm and wet touches my forehead, making me crinkle my nose. An unbearable pain shoots up and down my arm, making me gasp. I open my eyes and blink a few times to look at my surroundings.

I'm in Peeta's living room, lying on his couch. Peeta is kneeling down next to me, holding a warm compress to my face. My eyes turn to the side to see Haymitch and Thom standing behind the couch, Thom holding his arms protectively around Delly. I guess my eyes trained on Delly for too long because Thom tightens his grip around her.

I place my eyes back on Peeta who is staring at me with concern. "What happened?" My voice sounds as if it hasn't been used for months. Weird.

Peeta has one hand holding the compress against my forehead, the other running through my hair, "You fainted at the Hob. Thom caught you before you fell to the ground."

"You're welcome," Thom snickers.

I furrow my eyebrows together, keeping my eyes on Peeta, "What are you talking about?" Another shot of pain courses through my arm, "And why does my arm hurt so badly?"

Peeta snaps his head up to look at the three behind the couch, "I thought you said she didn't hit her head?"

"That's because she didn't," Haymitch sighs, "It's probably just from the blood loss."

"Blood loss?" I raise my voice, making it scratchy. I let out a choking cough, making Peeta's attention to face me again. He hands me a cup of water and I drink it greedily.

"What was the last thing you remember, Katniss?" Peeta takes the cup away and places it on the table.

"Last night…" I trail off while thinking about it.

"Oh, and what happened last night?" Thom asks in an amused voice.

Peeta glares at them then looks back at me, "This morning you woke me up and told me you heard something. I went to go see what it was and…" Peeta looks at the three, trying to figure out how to tell me.

"Just tell her how it happened," Delly whispers, her voice sounding guilty.

Peeta sighs and looks back at me, "Delly came in with a Bowie knife, trying to kill you. She forgot to take her pills yesterday and it must have affected her, making her act the way she did at the District 13 hospital. She was only trying to go after you so I stood in front of you. She cornered us into a corner of the room and I told you to jump out the window. You ran and right before you jumped out, I yelled for you to look out and Delly threw the knife at you. It skinned the side of your arm but lifted up some skin and you fell backwards out the window. That must be where you hit your head. Haymitch," Peeta looks at Haymitch.

"I guess I'm continuing the story. Well Thom and I were speaking in the Hob when we saw people laughing and looking in one direction. We went to go see what the commotion was and there you were, running aimlessly in your undergarments."

I cut him off before he could say anything else, "You're joking, right?"

"Oh, we are telling the truth. The famous Mockingjay, running around in panties and a bra. Now that is a great headline for the Capitol newspaper." Thom jokes. I groan and close my eyes, but not before I see a smirk on Peeta's face.

"So, as the great friends we are, we ran towards you, covered your wound up, and gave you my jacket. I expect you to take the blood out of it and return it as soon as possible." Thom tells me.

I open my eyes, "What happened after that?"

"We carried you to your house to lay you in bed when we saw that your door was open. You should lock your door, by the way. All your weapons were scattered across the house, so we brought you here. Delly was restrained to a chair in the kitchen and Peeta was throwing clothes like a wild man."

I turn my attention towards Peeta who has a red face. "How long was I out for?"

"Well it's a little after eight now so…maybe twelve hours?" Peeta answers.

"Twelve hours! How could I be out for twelve hours?"

"Katniss I'm so sorry!" Delly declares and bends over the couch to wrap me into a hug.

Her hand touches my arm, making me inhale a sharp breath. She let's go immediately, "Oh, sorry. I'm…I'm so sorry. I know your dying to yell at me, so just do it now, I deserve it."

I look her dead in the eye and smirk slightly, "Good choice in knives."

* * *

**A little short, I know, but hey, what are you going to do? Please, if you have the time, go read Max's Letter, which is a Mortal Instruments story I am also working on right now.**

**Review, Follow, and Favorite!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Woah guys, isn't this a fast update? Long-ish chapter. **

**I just have one thing to say…Don't hate me.**

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

**Fallen Victor**

* * *

I'm woken up by my head being nudged to the side. I open my eyes to find Katniss poking me with her index finger. Rolling over cautiously to not fall off the couch, I face Katniss. We both fell asleep here last night after Haymitch went home and Thom went upstairs with Delly to make sure she doesn't have another reoccurrence as yesterday. Thom being upstairs with Delly does not make me happy.

"Good morning to you, too," I kiss Katniss on the forehead.

"Would you like to know why I woke you up?" Her stomach growls loud enough that I can hear.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with food? Not that I got a hint of anything."

"You thought correctly," She grins, pretending to put on an excited voice.

"So, my dear, what will it be? Cheese buns, pancakes, waffles, please do not say omelets, muffins?" If I eat another omelet, I think I might give up cooking all together.

Katniss laughs, "I think pancakes will do just fine."

I act being shocked, "Did I just hear Katniss Everdeen pass up cheese buns? Never in my life have I thought I would come to this day! Ah, it puts me to shame."

"We could always have both?" Katniss puts on a puppy dog act, making me give her a crooked grin, "Now that's the Everdeen I know."

_And love._

Katniss sits up carefully, making sure she doesn't push me off the couch, "Then let's get cracking, no time to lose!"

We both climb off the cushions that keep seeming to sink deeper into the couch and walk side by side into the kitchen.

"How's your arm feeling today?" I question while taking down a pan and fryer from different cabinets.

"A little sore, but nothing I can't handle. Like I said, Delly chose a good knife." Katniss takes out the measuring cups, whisks, milk, and eggs, placing them on the corner of the counter, "Peeta?"

"Yes?" My curiosity begins to grow.

"I have thought about something, but I don't want you to take it the wrong way,"

"I would never take anything you say the wrong way. You know you can tell me anything, Katniss." Uneasiness starts to take over my curiosity. What if what she has to tell me isn't good? Not after all we've just been through. Right?

"I was just wondering…how didn't you have a flashback when Delly was trying to kill me? I mean, she had the same target you do when you get caught under the venom. How did you protect me and stay calm when you should have gone under the influence of the venom?" Katniss speaks quickly before she could stop herself from telling me.

I think about that for a moment, I never really thought about it until now, "Because I knew you were in trouble. And when I set my mind to saving someone I love, I don't let anything else get into my mind but one thing. Saving you."

"If we are going to get all mushy then, Peeta, I can't take my eyes off your muscles," Katniss and I turn around to see Thom taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Good morning, Thom," Katniss grins.

"Awe someone is looking for a mushy comment too, aren't they? Since I'm being a generous person now, Katniss, if you weren't dripping in blood and sweat yesterday, you could have been attractive in your undergarments."

Katniss throws a measuring spoon at Thom, hitting him in the chest, "Say that again while I have my arrow and quiver in my hands."

"Feisty little girl this morning, aren't we?" Thom snickers then runs up the stairs while dogging another measuring spoon.

Katniss mumbles to herself something about Thom's head and an arrow, then goes to retrieve the measuring spoons.

"If it helps, I thought you were attractive with or without sweat and blood," I mumble, which only rewards me with a measuring spoon to the back of my back.

"Be careful! He hasn't been having his medication, you could do something and set him off. Do you want to be in danger again?" Delly snaps.

Katniss and I turn around to see her standing at the bottom of the stairs, Thom a few steps above her.

"I-I'm sorry," Katniss' voice becomes full of guilt.

"Delly, I know you care and everything, but that wasn't called for. I'm okay, really." I say.

"No Peeta, she's right. I'm going to go home and change, I'll be back in a bit," I can see that Katniss is putting on an act, trying to be tough, but I know that she was hurt by Delly's words.

"Katniss…" My voice trails off when leaves the room then the house.

I put my attention towards Delly, who is standing where she was, looking dumbfounded.

"What? Did you expect a snide comment from her?" I ask Delly. She looks at me and I continue, "You know the Katniss that has been in the games and on interviews and at school, but you don't know the real Katniss. The real Katniss has feelings just like anyone else. The real Katniss can be hurt, too."

"Peeta…I didn't mean to," Delly's voice becomes soft.

"Meant it or not, it happened and can't be taken back," I leave the mess on the counter and go over to the basket that is holding clean clothes. I move some clothes around and take out a faded red t-shirt, blue jeans, and gray boxers. Walking into the bathroom down the hallway, I close the door and quickly change. After brushing my teeth and putting my worn clothes in the hamper, I walk into the kitchen to see Thom and Delly taking over what I have left.

"I'll be back in a few minutes to pick up the things I need for later today. Come by around twelve, and Thom, thank you." I say then leave the house.

When I walk across Haymitch's yard, I see him sitting in a rocking chair on his porch, "Twelve o'clock." I say to him while walking to Katniss' home.

"Wouldn't miss it. As you can see, I'm sober and hangover free for this day."

I smirk at him then walk up the porch steps of Katniss' home. It only takes two times to knock before the door opens. Katniss is wearing a white short-sleeved button up shirt with a green skirt that starts above her hips and down to her kneecaps. Her hair is in her signature braid down the side of her shoulder.

"No hunting today then?" I ask.

"I'd rather not go out today in this heat," Is all she says.

"I'm sorry for what Delly said, I could tell that it hurt you. If it helps at all, I kind of told her off."

"There was no need to do that, I can handle people saying things to me,"

"Katniss, you know there is no need to act tough around me, right? We aren't in danger anymore, we aren't in the hands of the Capitol anymore. That means that you don't need to act big around anyone. People get hurt by words and you don't need to hide it."

"I know you're right, I know. It's just hard not to after doing it for so long." She puts her head down to look at her feet.

I cup her face between my hands and hold her face up to look at mine, "But now you have your whole life to change it. Now, you can have everyday not worrying about a thing in the world. Now, your life doesn't lay in other people's hands. Now, it lays in yours." I kiss her, no longer being frightened it she doesn't want to or not, because now, I know she does.

"YOU HAVE A HOUSE FOR A FEW REASONS AND THAT IS ONE OF THEM. GO USE IT!" Haymitch yells from his porch.

I laugh against Katniss' lips and let go, "Go to the Hob at twelve, okay? There's something I need to show you, there's no words for it."

Katniss gives me a puzzled look, "I'll be there."

"Great, see you then," I give her a peck on the lips then go back to my home to pick up the few necessities I need for the day.

When I open the door, the smell of cheese buns and blueberry pancakes hit me like a smack to the face. "I'm back," I yell into the kitchen while heading upstairs towards my bedroom.

Once I'm in there, I walk over to the closet and open it. Under a pile of blankets is a bag that holds all the paperwork for the bakery that Thom has been building.

I run everything over just to make sure I have everything finished for today, "Okay so I told my friends to come at twelve, I told everyone at the Hob and Seam that the opening is today at eight, I have my two employees coming at seven-thirty, what else…what else…I think that's it."

Walking back downstairs, I yell, "Twelve o'clock!" Then walk towards the Hob with my head held high and to my new bakery.

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

Eleven thirty soon comes by and I'm just finished cleaning the home I'm never at. Thinking of what to do in the small time I have left, I decide to call Annie to see when she and Finnick will be arriving in a few days. I take the telephone hanging from the kitchen wall in my hands and dial her hospital compartment number.

After the third ring, the other line picks up, "Hello this is District 13's hospital center. How may I be at your service?"

"I must have dialed the wrong number. I'm looking for Annie Odair's compartment room number."

"But Ms. she isn't here –" The secretary starts but I interrupt her, "That's okay, could you tell her that when she gets back to give me a call?"

"Wait a moment…I know that voice. You're Katniss. Katniss Everdeen." She says.

"Yes, now if you could tell her to call me when she gets back, that would be great. Thank you." I press the end button and put the telephone back on the charger.

I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch only for the telephone to ring again. With a sigh, I get up and answer it, "That was fast. I should have just stayed on for a few more seconds."

"Katniss, it's the secretary again. I don't think you understand–"

"What's there to understand? Is there a new rule there that we aren't allowed to call for someone? If so, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"No Katniss it's not that…"

"Then what is it?"

The secretary sighs and speaks slowly, "Katniss, Annie and Finnick are dead."

I shake my head even though there she cannot see me, "I think you must be mistaken for someone else maybe. I'm looking for Annie Odair, red hair, short, a little mad. I-I just spoke with her the other day, sh-she can't be dead, she can't!" Tears begin to roll down my cheeks and I don't have the heart to stop them.

"Katniss, I am so sorry. There was a letter in her compartment saying that she and Finnick were tied to the train tracks the same day that Randy got out of the mental institution section of the hospital. An emergency crew got to the nearest tracks as soon as possible and there were their clothes and bones. There was another note saying that they were skinned and that he learned from the best to do that. Our morgue tested the bones but they were too crushed and tampered with to show us DNA to make sure this was true. We haven't seen Annie nor the baby in two days, which makes us believe it was true. We have tried to get Randy to speak, but all he says is that it's a lie. Katniss, I'm terribly sorry that you were not informed about all of this."

When she is finished, I hang up the telephone, crying hysterically. I know I did not know her as much as I should have, but it is the fact that another victor has fallen for the wrong reasons, in someone else's hands.

I need Peeta. With my blurry vision, I run out of the house and towards the Hob where Peeta told me to go. When I get closer my running turns into a forced walk. I try to not be hysteric, but the tears still roll down without my permission.

When I enter the Hob I look for a blonde head in the mix of everybody. People give me odd stares but don't approach me, which is odd for me. I peek my head inside Greasy Sae's but there is no blonde person in the room. I walk farther along in the Hob until something catches my eye. There is a building standing where the bakery used to stand. I squint my eyes and see the building says Mellark Bakery. I don't have the effort to be excited that Peeta got the courage to open his own bakery, but the sadness grows.

I walk towards the building and open the door, seeing people sitting and eating Peeta's cookies, bread, and cake. I stand at the door and look around for Peeta until I see his back facing me, talking to a girl about our age. I can't help but look at the girl, wavy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, perfect figure. Her eyes tell me that she is in love with Peeta, even though I am positive this is the first time they have ever met before. Her smile is a mile wide and her hand can't seem to get off of Peeta's shoulder and arm.

They both talk and laugh and look like they are having a great time. A pang hits my stomach and oddly more tears stream down my face. That girl is better than me. That girl will get _my _Peeta. Just as I thought it couldn't get any worse, they hug and she whispers into Peeta's ear, making him laugh.

So is this what Peeta needed to show me instead of tell me? Did he really hate me that much and thought this was the easiest way to let me down? I've had enough.

I turn around on my heels, tears blurring my vision, and try to leave the bakery when Delly, Thom, and Haymitch walk in.

"Katniss!" Delly says in alarm, loud enough for Peeta to hear and stop his conversation with the girl.

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

The clock on the baby blue wall reads 11:45. Customers have been flowing in and out since opening, making this the first time I've had a break all day. People are sitting at the lavender booths and couches across the room, enjoying their baked goods. A young woman around my age walks up to the counter and taps the bell, smiling.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" I ask politely, smiling back at her since she is to me.

"There is a few things you could help me with today!" Her voice is chirpy, almost like Effie's, "Could I please have four frosted sugar cookies?"

"Of course," I say, writing down her order on a small notebook.

"And also, I heard that you are a great person to be friends with. I'm originally from District 1 but I came here to work at the medical center that's almost finished being built. So I thought, why not make friends with someone who knows everyone in the District?"

Somehow I feel as if Katniss wouldn't like that, but I don't want to be rude to any customer on my first day opened, especially if she is new here, "You're lucky I am easy to be friends with," I joke, "But if you want to be friends with someone who knows _everybody _in the District, try being friends with Sae, she's a wonderful person."

"Oh don't worry, I'm working my way down to her building. But to talk to Peeta Mellark, now, I couldn't pass that up!" Her smile and eyes begin to get me thinking that she's flirting with me, but I ignore it.

"So four frosted sugar cookies, anything else?" I try to change the subject, keeping my voice polite enough to not sound like I am trying to be rude.

"I think that's it," She smiles but then stops smiling, "Ow, ow, ow!"

"Is everything okay, Ms.?"

"I, ow, my leg just started to hurt a lot, ow gosh, it really hurts," She winces, "Could you take a look at it?"

_So this is how it's going to be? _"Of course."

I walk around the counter and stand in front of her. I know I shouldn't have my back towards the door, but she doesn't seem like she would move if I asked her, "Where does it hurt?"

"Right here," She points her finger at the spot.

I take a look at it, "Well, it seems perfectly fine to me. You must have just gotten a cramp."

She laughs and smiles, "Now I feel stupid, I mean I should have known that, I'm the doctor here. But thank you anyway, even if it was for nothing."

"Anything for a friend, right?"

She laughs and puts her hand on my shoulder, "I think we are going to be great friends, don't you?"

I give a fake laugh, "I think we will be."

Her hand moves down to my bicep, "Wow, picking up flour really works on a man, doesn't it Peeta?" _She's good_, I think to myself.

"I guess it does," I say back.

She laughs again then looks over my shoulder so quickly that I might have imagined it. She hides it by looking at the clock on the opposite wall and says, "11:59 already? I'll be by to pick up the cookies in about an hour. Nice meeting you!" She gives me a hug.

I know I can't not hug her back, so I do. She then whispers in my ear, "My name is Fleecy by the way."

I laugh, trying to get her off me. I was just about to give up and let her hug me when I hear Delly's alarmed voice behind me, "Katniss!"

I let go of Fleecy and pull her off me only to turn around to see Katniss standing in front of the door with tears covering her face and in her eyes.

"Katniss!" I run up to her, holding my arms out to her but she pushes them away.

By now, every eye in the bakery are on us.

"Could we talk in the back? Please?" I ask her gently.

She looks at me for a minute then nods. I take her hand and bring her through the doors into the back of the bakery. My two employees, Claberii and Dyron stop what they are doing and stare at us.

"Dyron…let's give them some space," Claberii says, both of them going into the front of the bakery.

When they leave I turn around and face Katniss, putting both of my hands on her face, wiping her tears off with my thumbs, "Katniss what's wrong?"

"What do you mean what's wrong? I just walked in to you and some other girl flirting!" She yells at me.

"Katniss, you know I would never do that. You're the only person I would ever… flirt with," I say awkwardly.

"I thought…I just thought…" She trails off, another sob racking through her.

"What, you thought what?" I keep my voice gentle.

"I…I just thought…that we…" She, again, can't finish her sentence.

"You thought we were a thing?" I ask, finishing her sentence.

She nods slightly, not looking me in the eyes.

Never would I have thought of the day that I would be Katniss Everdeen's boyfriend, "I didn't want to ask you. I-If you want to be. I want to be, I really, really want to be."

She nods again and we press our lips to each other. This time, it's not a person that stops us, but Katniss' cries.

"Why are you still crying?" I asked, concern taking over my voice.

She sobs again and I wrap her in my arms, stroking her hair, "Shh, shh its okay, whatever it is, it's going to be okay."

"But that's the thing, it's not going to be okay!" Her voice is strong but hard to figure out what she is saying with all her crying.

"What happened?"

"Annie…Finnick…they're dead Peeta! They're dead!"

My body goes rigid. They couldn't be dead, "Katniss, Katniss you need to tell me how you found this out."

Between sobs, Katniss tells me what happened before she came here. When she said that they are positive Randy was the one who did this, I began to get tear eyed. Randy…young Randy.

"Oh Katniss…" Is all I could say, holding her tight.

"Peeta, you said we wouldn't die in the hands of others anymore! You said we would have our own lives in our hands. Finnick wasn't even two years old and now…he's gone. Another innocent child is gone!"

* * *

**Please tell me your reaction!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry for the long wait! I know I have updated quickly for the past few chapters but I just started school today so the process will slow down a bit.**

**First day of high school, phew!**

**Anyway, don't hate me on this.**

**WARNING: SMALL LANGUAGE AND ...SEXUAL-ISH SCENE?**

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

**Wrong Hands**

* * *

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am seventeen years old. There is a new Capitol. I live with Peeta Mellark and Delly Cartwright. Peeta Mellark is my boyfriend. Peeta and I are in love. Annie and Finnick Odair are dead. Randy is a murderer. Delly has tried to kill me on two other occasions. Peeta tried to kill me on one occasion. I will most likely die by the end of the week.

My elbows lean on the counter, chin in hands. Peeta and I are the only ones in his bakery, having closing time ended an hour ago. I've tried to come here at least once a day for the past two weeks. Everyone thinks it's because I want to be with Peeta, but that's just a bonus to me. The main reason is being too afraid to stay home with Delly. I would never have the strength to hurt Delly, even for self-defense, and being with Peeta makes me feel safe.

A long yawn escapes me, my eyes fluttering shut. My chin keeps falling through my hands, making me become alert, but then a few minutes later the same would happen. Peeta said he had to prepare dough for tomorrow and would only take twenty minutes max…that was forty minutes ago. The only reason I know he is working is from the occasional rolling-pin making contact with the table.

My eyes close again, sleep taking over me. I open my mouth to tell Peeta to hurry up when something enters my mouth from behind. A gag. I let out a muffled scream, but it can't be heard by the flour sack that has just been put on over my head. Not being able to see, I fling my arms and legs in the air, hoping it hits its target. My hand crashes against the counter, making it throb in pain.

The attacker viciously grabs for my hands, tying them in rope along with my legs. I'm dragged from the seat and flipped, part of me in one set of arms, the other half in another. I use my hands and feet to feel at anything, to find anything about these two. A male and female.

I scream as loud as my voice will let me, knowing it will sound quite on the outside. They start walking, towards the door I assume, when I hear Peeta come out into the front of the bakery, "Katniss are you ready t- KATNISS!"

Then I hear a gunshot with a blood curdling voice that moves me to tears.

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

It becomes difficult to hold the rolling-pin properly when my hands become pastier with dough. Every so often, the rolling-pin slips out of my hands, making contact with the counter. I look at the clock on the oven, 10:40. I didn't realize time flew by that quickly; I told Katniss I would take twenty minutes which turned into forty minutes. Katniss began to get tired around noon from hunting with Thom then to later come here and help out with cleaning.

I decide that this pile of dough will be the last to flatten then we can go home. The dough only takes a few minutes to flatten, making it easy to slide through the rack that holds the other pieces that I have flattened. I wash my hands thoroughly, making sure all the dough and flour come off my hands so they don't later dry, then take my apron off.

Putting the bag that holds all the bakery's paperwork over my shoulder, I shove a few more papers into it. I open the door, walking into the front of the bakery, "Katniss are you ready t-" I look up from the bag to see to figures in black holding another figure with hands and feet tied and a flour sack over their head, "KATNISS!"

The shorter figure turns around, pointing their arm at me. At first I didn't comprehend what the person was doing until a fire went off and a piercing pain hit my shoulder. A blood curdling scream escapes my mouth, my hand putting pressure on the wound.

The two run outside holding a struggling Katniss between them. I chase after them as fast as I can, trying to force the black dots that are covering my eyesight to leave. My body betrays me, making my knees buckle and fall into the wall.

"Katniss!" I yell, feeling myself slip into unconsciousness.

Katniss seems to struggle more, almost falling out of their arms when one of them let go and punch her in the face, making her go limp.

"Katniss," I whisper, watching black take color of everything.

I begin to drag myself by my arm out the door and start towards where the two ran off. "Who is that…Peeta? What are you doing?" Thom rushes over to me.

"Crawling on the floor, what does it look like? Thom, I-I need your help. Someone kidnapped Katniss, two people! Please, you have to help me find her." I breathe deeply, trying to stay conscious.

"Which way did they…Peeta you're bleeding. Oh god that's a lot of blood, Peeta, we need to get you help," Thom puts his hands under my arms and lifts me from the ground.

"No! No we need to get Katniss first. I'm fine really, besides, it's not that much blood." My body begins to get too heavy, making me lean against Thom so I don't fall.

"Shit," Thom mumbles, looking down at me then where I was crawling to. "Listen man, I'm sorry." He says and then lifts me in his arms, carrying me towards the medical center and away from Katniss.

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

My head is fuzzy, making me forget of what happened. I open my eyes to still find it pitch back and hard to breathe. Everything flows back to me, everything up until being punched in the face.

I try to take off the flour sack to find that my hands are tied to something, to a bed pole I suppose. I move my legs, only to see that my ankles are also tied to the bed. I tug at the rope that stretches from my wrist to bed, seeing that the rope is too short to flick a wrist.

"Look who decided to wake up," A voice says, though it's too muffled in the sack to decipher if it is a male or female.

"What do you say, should we take the sack off?" Another voice says.

"I say we take it all off," Yet another voice says.

_Three people._

"In time, my friend, in time," the first person says.

Footsteps come closer then there is a hand behind my neck, untying the rope holding the sack around my face. The sack comes off my face, showing me three figured people.

I blink a few times to adjust to the tainted light. We seem to be in a small room with a fireplace and a couch. The room seems so familiar when it hits me. We're in the cabin next to the lake. Everything is the same besides the bed that I currently lay on in the corner of the room.

I look up at my kidnappers, feeling nothing but hate. The three are wearing black from head to toe, except for the flour sacks over their heads. The sacks have holes cut for their eyes, nose, and mouth. I look at their eyes in hopes that I can figure out who they are by it, only to find that they are wearing black glasses.

The person who took the flour sack off of my face takes a step back, giving me space. I struggle to move with the ropes, only getting as far as leaning up on my elbows, "What do you want from me?"

"What we want? What we want." The male voice sounds so familiar but foreign, "What we want is for you to suffer as every citizen in Panem did just so you could survive. What we want is for you to die in pain just like most of Panem did. What we want is for you to die, just like your sister did."

_Gale._

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

Adrenaline has been the only reason I haven't slipped into unconsciousness yet. No matter how many times I fought Thom to forget about me and find Katniss, I'd always lose. The doctor has just finished taking out the bullet and is stitching the wound up. He said it would hurt without medicine, but I don't feel a thing. He also said that I need to lay and rest for two days but that is never going to happen until I find Katniss.

After he is finished, he leaves the room, saying he'll be back in an hour to see if I'm in stable enough condition to leave. I turn to Thom, "Could you go get Haymitch? He needs to know what's going on."

"If he is drunk, do I have permission to punch him until he becomes sober?" Thom asks, hope in his voice.

"You're your own man, do as you please,"

"Okay, I'll be back. Stay here." He points at the hospital bed I'm lying on.

"Like I have a choice," I whisper once Thom leaves the room.

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

"Gale," I whisper.

"So you do remember who I am? I would have thought you'd forget once baker's man came back into your life." Gale snarls.

"Gale, I never shut you out, you left me. You left me for some fancy job in another District. So don't blame me for your choices."

He laughs, sounding like a mad man, "For my choices? I left so I wouldn't have to watch you and lover boy fondling over each other every waking day!" He walks over to me, making me go rigid. He sits on the edge of the bed, stroking my face with shaky hands, "I would have killed myself, Catnip."

"Don't call me that," I whisper through my teeth.

Never would I have thought I would be afraid for my life in this way. Never would I have thought I would be scared right now, considering I've been in two Hunger Games and a war, but I was wrong.

Gale grabs my cheeks between his hand, "I'll call you whatever the hell I want! Catnip, sweetheart, darling, wife."

I shake my head until he let's go of my face, "You will call me none of those names."

"Oh but I will and you can do nothing about it because if you try anything of any sorts, we will have no hesitation in killing you. Then I won't have any hesitation killing your friends."

"Please, do whatever you want with me, just don't hurt them…"

"I assure you that Peeta will be fine, unless he does something reckless to find you,"

"What about Delly? Thom? Haymitch?"

"I wouldn't touch Thom and Haymitch, they oppose a threat in strength."

"What about Delly?"

"Let's just say Delly is oblivious of what is going on," Gale's voice sounds like he is smiling.

"What did you do to her?" I almost scream.

Gale puts his face up to mine, "Now there is no need in yelling."

Taking a breath, I bend my head back and slame it against Gale's. He stumbles back but regains his balance. He walks back towards me and punches me in the gut. I curl up as much as I can in pain, coughing.

"I said don't do anything stupid!"

A wave of nausea hits, sending all of my food that I have eaten, up. I turn my head over the bed, letting everything I ate today come up. After I'm finished, I lay flat against the bed, taking deep breaths. This is not happening.

This is happening.

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

Once I told Haymitch what has happened, he turns around and flips the rolling table, "I knew I should have kept a better eye on you two!"

"Haymitch this isn't your fault. None of us knew this was going to happen," I try to comfort him in any way possible.

"We need to find her," Haymitch states the obvious.

Thom runs into the room, "I can't find Delly. And it looks as if she was struggling in the house because there are papers everywhere and…it's just a mess."

"Now we have two kidnapped," Haymitch, again, states the obvious.

"Okay…odds are they are both hidden in the same place, by the same people. So if we find one, we find the other." I tell them.

"We have to tell the Peacekeepers, now. We'll find your doctor on the way out and say that you're perfectly fine." Haymitch says, ripping the IV's out of my arm and pulling me to my feet.

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

***two days gone***

* * *

Hungry. Cold. Afraid. Abused. All the words run though my head. I've been here for almost three days. I never knew three days could feel like two weeks. Without being fed and nothing in my stomach, a jabbing pain constantly courses throughout me. Plump bruises begin to form in numeral amount of places by pointless beatings.

Gale walks up to me, sitting next to me on the edge of the bed, "How are you feeling, love?"

"How do you think I feel you bastard?" My voice comes out strained, almost in a whisper.

"What did I say about name calling?" Gale shouts, slapping me across the face.

"What did you say about never hurting me when we were kids?"

"That was when you were the old Seam Katniss, not the new Victor Katniss," Gale snaps.

He looks at me for a moment then begins to rub my cheek, "But I still love you. You don't realize what I imagined we would be like together one day. And now we can."

His hand travels down my neck then to my chest. I instantly flinch back as much as I can, "Don't _ever _touch me!"

"But sweetheart, you fail to understand something. I'm the one with the gun," Gale puts one of his hands on me, "and I'm the one with your life in my hands." He puts his other hand on me.

* * *

***three days gone***

* * *

I feel uncomfortable with so much exposure and not one item to cover me. I lay naked on the bed, Gale standing small ways away and the two figures on the couch. My head pounds, making it difficult to keep my eyes open.

My eyes fight to stay open when I feel Gale's hands on me for the third time in these two days. I fight the urge to pull away, knowing that it will only result in getting beaten.

He stops and a small noise fills the room. I look at Gale to see him unzipping his pants. I move away as much as possible, knowing that it won't help me.

"I'm sure this isn't new to you. I'm sure you and lover boy do the daily dues." Gale growls.

Not trusting my voice, I only shake my head. Gale takes off his pants and comes towards me.

"G-get away from me!" I scream, straining my throat.

Gale holds me down making sure I can't punch, kick, or knee him. The next thing I feel is an agony of pain. As much as I try to squirm, I can't seem to get out of his grasp. After screaming begins to hurt too much, I let the tears stream down my face. Only one thing is running through my head,

_He is raping me._

* * *

**Peeta P.O.V**

* * *

For the past three days, Haymitch, Thom, Sae, Peacekeepers, and I have searched far and wide for Katniss and Delly. Twenty Peacekeepers arrived from the Capitol as soon as news came that a Victor has been kidnapped. Now we all sit at a large table at the Justice Building over places that we could have missed.

"They wouldn't have been able to leave the District!" Haymitch snaps, "The kidnappers wouldn't have taken the risk to take the train and it'd be too difficult to travel to another District through the woods!"

It then hits me like a ton of bricks. Katniss took me to the lake. There was a cabin at the lake. I jump out of my chair, making it fall backwards, "I know where they are."

* * *

**Katniss P.O.V**

* * *

My whole body is sore, making my groan when I breathe. Gale once again stands over me, feeling my chest. I don't have the strength to make him stop, I don't have the strength to continue this forever.

Gale begins to take things further when the front door burst off its hinges and Peeta, Gale, Thom, and Peacekeepers flood into the room.

"Get your hands off her!" Peeta yells, rushing over to me at the same time Peacekeepers grab Gale, pushing him backwards.

Peeta crouches down next to the bed and looks at me with so many expressions built into one, "What did they do to you? Are you okay?"

Tears begin to stream down my face, making no words come out of my mouth. Peeta wraps his arm over me, holding me close. Haymitch and Thom stand right behind him.

"H-he t-touched me, Peeta," The words come out of my mouth sounding almost like a whisper with the little strength I have left, "H-he raped me."

Peeta's head snaps up and looks at me wide-eyed, "He what?" His voice sounds like venom.

My body racks with sobs, "He raped me, Peeta, he raped me."

"Oh no," Haymitch whispers from behind Peeta.

Thom walks to the edge of the bed where Peacekeepers are putting handcuffs on Gale. Thom turns Gale around and punches him in the face, "How dare you touch her, you sick bastard!"

Gale looks at Peeta and I, "You're missing out Peeta." He smirks which only rewards him with another punch from Thom.

"Take him away," Haymitch snaps at the Peacekeepers.

They take Gale out of the room, he watching me the whole time.

Peeta takes off his jacket and covers my naked frame. He and Haymitch then cut the ropes off me, putting gauze around my bloody ankles and wrists. Peeta scoops me up into his arms, holding me close to his chest.

Peacekeepers bring the two unknown figures up to us. "Where is Delly?" Thom demands.

The two people take their masks off, "I'm right here."

Delly and Randy.

* * *

**Well that escalated quickly! Like I said, don't hate! I know people wanted fluff but…that will be in the next chapter. Most likely. I'll try to update as soon as I possibly can!  
Follow, Favorite, Review!  
Love ya sugarcubes cx **


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